(If you haven't yet, make sure to read the intro.)
Shūbun, part 1
The machine Bulma has in mind is actually not a new, or rare, invention for the time. Moving water by means of buckets attached to a chain or a wheel has been used since at least 700 BC, and in China were powered by windmills as early as the 13th century. But Bulma is much smarter than I am, and I am unable to conceive of a truly genius solution the way she would have. And so I ask you to pretend that it’s actually a very novel idea. You can see a drawing of one style of these “chain pumps” below.
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| Chinese chain pump |
Autumn symbols in this chapter: Pampas grass, one of the "seven flowers of autumn", is a tall grass with silvery fronds at the top, often used as an ornamental plant in landscaping. Autumn is also the season where hawks begin their migrations, so the one Bulma sees for inspiration was likely on its way to its winter home. And if you notice the name of the castle that Bulma’s war machines saved from the Tsumetai…
Persimmons, which come in sweet and astringent varieties, are both hallmark foods of autumn. The astringent type are too sour to eat fresh, but in autumn are harvested and strung to dry, which draws the sugars out of them and makes them into a sort of candied treat that can be eaten or used to flavor various sweet treats. These dried persimmons are called hoshigaki.
Shūbun, part 2
Because of anime, a lot of people have become familiar with the idea of kunoichi, or "female ninja". The prevailing image is a woman wrapped in ninja clothes, hiding in shadows with a short blade, ready to strike. But this is a major misconception! While female warriors (onna-bushi) were not uncommon, the kunoichi were not primarily fighters.
Kunoichi were real, but they weren't so much "ninja" as they were spies and assassins. The kunoichi would usually infiltrate the target's household as a servant, performer, or yes, sometimes a concubine. They would look and act just like normal women, but would use their position to overhear conversations or look over documents, and pass on the information to their employers. When necessary, poison was the weapon of choice for the kunoichi, being fairly easy and safe to administer without detection or suspicion. They would sometimes also use subtle hand-to-hand weaponry such as garrotes, daggers, or "cat claw" fingertip spikes or spiked rings, which were often dipped in poison.
It's claimed that the first kunoichi were recruited by Mochizuki Chiyome, a noblewoman of the Takeda clan, in the 16th century. However, the evidence for this is fairly scant, and this origin is debated. Still, there is no doubt that kunoichi were important players in the history of Japan.
A note: while slavery was technically abolished during the "warring states" period, there were plenty of people, in various professions, who were "indentured" or otherwise obligated to a lord. For many, there was no real difference between this and true slavery.
This will be updated as the story continues!
