Solnus 18. New Sports, The Dutch Hundreds of Years Ago and Today, Where Is That Island?, Division H and ij

2378 days, or 6 years, 6 months, and about 1 week before The Circumadversum Omatsuri, one night.

A man was moving his palms and arms as if he were about to pounce on something. He did this to pass the time while waiting for something to come.

The man was Yuukyuritoo Mitsuishi. Lately, he had been frequently performing some hand movements. He did this on the advice of an academic, none other than Professor Hoshimu Kimura. Because of Professor Hoshimu Kimura, Yuukyuritoo flew to an island in southern Japan.

Suddenly, a sound was heard that made Yuukyuritoo's hand and arm movements stop. The sound made him take his cell phone from his shirt pocket. Yuukyuritoo read a message.

Then, in response to the message, Yuukyuritoo decided to call the person who sent it. Without waiting long, the call was answered. Yuuichirou immediately greeted, "Yes, hello, Kochi-sensei. Let's just chat."

Kochi-sensei replied, "Hello, good evening, Yuukyurit0o-sama. I'm sorry, I only reported on what happened at the expo tonight."

Yuukyuritoo said, "It's okay; it's not your responsibility to tell me about the event right away. Let's get straight to the point. I'm interested in the tea brewed with Clitoria ternatea flowers. When we meet, I'll try it right away."

Kochi-sensei agreed, "Yes, Yuukyuritoo-sama."

Yuukyuritoo placed an order, "But from a glance, it looks like I'll like that tea. I'll arrange with your team to see if we can buy more or subscribe."

Kochi-sensei agreed, "Yes, Yuukyuritoo-sama."

Yuukyuritoo didn't end the call. "Oh, yes, Kochi-sensei. I hope you and your team can also prepare the equipment and venue for the new sports I'm interested in. They are "turmequé" and "Qiang Huapao."

Kochi-sensei asked, "Excuse me?"

Yuukyuritoo said, "For these two sports, I'll just explain them via text message."

Kochi-sensei agreed, "Yes, Mitsuishi the Light-sama."

Yuukyuritoo hung up, "Okay, Kochi-sensei." Yuukyuritoo immediately moved his fingers. He typed the names of the two sports, along with several links for explanations about them.

The first sport name was typed by Yuukyuritoo, "Qiang Huapao," who also typed the name in the native characters of the region where the sport originated, "强花炮." Yuukyruritoo also added a note to Kochi-sensei, "Regarding which version we'll play, it would be better if Kochi-sensei prepares equipment for several versions."

Qiang Huapao is a traditional ethnic sport in China. It is popular and played by various ethnic groups in China with varying equipment and rules. Ethnic groups in China that play this sport with their own versions include the Dong and Han ethnicities.

Qiang Huapao is often referred to as "Chinese football" or "Oriental football." Generally, this sport involves teams competing to throw small fireworks into the sky and catch them as they fall into a basket. Successfully catching the fireworks earns them points.

Meanwhile, the name of the second sport Yuukyuurito wrote in his message to Kochi-sensei was "Turmequé," and he also typed another name for the sport, "Tejo." Yuukyuritoo also added a joke in his message about this sport: "By the way, we're going to play mechas, but not the robotic mecha."

Tejo is a sport originating from Colombia and arguably the country's national sport. The name "tejo" is also the name of the equipment used in Turmequé.

Turmequé players must throw a heavy metal disc called a "tejo" from a distance of approximately 18.5 meters at a target. The target is set up in a clay-filled court. The target in Tejo is a metal ring, inside which are placed "mechas"—from which Yuukyuritoo's joke derives. Mechas are triangular paper pouches filled with gunpowder.

Under the links to information about those two sports, Yuukyurito expressed a hope: "Actually, I hope these two sports can be included in the Olympics someday."

After typing this hope, Yuukyuritoo immediately turned off his cell phone screen and put the device back in his shirt pocket. Mitsuishi the Light then leaned his head against the wall, his eyes staring at the ceiling near where the light was shining. Meanwhile, his arms and hands were moving again.

Not long after, the something Yuukyuritoo had been waiting for finally arrived. It was a man who greeted Yuukyuritoo, "Good evening, Yuukyuritoo Mitsuishi-san. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

The person who arrived was a Dutch citizen of Japanese-Surinamese-Turkish descent named Daan Batra Mizuguchi.

Yuukyuritoo immediately stood up, extended his hand to shake Daan's, and offered a simple greeting, "Welcome." Yuukyuritoo wasted no time and said, "Let's go there immediately."

Yuukyuritoo walked to his car, while Daan walked beside him. Daan asked, "You'll be driving?"

Yuukyuritoo smiled, "Huh, what kind of question is that? Of course. First, I know this place better. Second, we'll be traveling on land, not on water like on a jet ski. Third, the steering system here is on the right side, unlike in the Netherlands, where the steering system is on the left side."

Daan responded, "Okay, okay. I'll obey you on this and on everything else in the future. Just like when the Dutch had to obey the rules to trade on Dejima during the Sakoku era."

Yuukyuritoo smiled at Daan's joke and replied, "Okay, Mr. Mizuguchi. What have you brought this time to revive "Rangaku" after hundreds of years?"

"Hahaha..." Daan laughed.

Rangaku, written as "蘭學," is a term meaning "Dutch learning." The term emerged from the contact between the Japanese and the Dutch in a small enclave called Dejima. Dejima, which literally means "exit island," also has the nickname "Tsukishima," which literally means "built island."

Dejima is an artificial island located near the city of Nagasaki. It was built in 1634 and completed approximately two years later. Dejima was constructed by digging a canal to separate a peninsula from the mainland. The canal was then connected by a small bridge.

Dejima served as a trading post for Portuguese traders from 1570 to 1639. Portuguese traders were expelled from Japan after the Shimabara Rebellion, which lasted from 1637 to 1638. After that, only Dutch traders were allowed to operate on Dejima Island from 1641 to 1858.

"Rangaku" is special because there was a period when only the Dutch were allowed to have trade and social contact with the Japanese. This period was the "Sengoku" period, which literally means "chained state" or "locked state." Sakoku was Japan's self-isolation policy implemented by the Tokugawa Shogunate from 1639 to 1854.

The virtue of Sakoku prohibited the Japanese from leaving the country, with any Japanese who traveled abroad and returned to Japan being punished by death. This policy also severely restricted the presence of foreigners, including in trade. Japan's contact with foreign powers was severely limited. For example, trade with Korea, the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the Ainu people was restricted to the domains or estates of certain daimyo, and trade with Europe was restricted to the Dutch on Dejima Island.

With this permitted contact on Dejima Island, the Dutch not only traded but also exposed the Japanese to developments in Western technology and medicine. During the reign of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune in 1720, Dutch-language scientific books, along with translations into Japanese, began to be distributed.

However, contact with the Dutch was not limited to the Sakoku period. In the 1800s, an incident occurred on the coast of Japan that led Yuukyuritoo Mitsuishi and Daan Batra Mizuguchi to an island south of Japan hundreds of years later.

(000)

2378 days, or 6 years, 6 months, and about 1 week before the Omatsuri Circumadversum, one night.

Yuuichiroo Mitsuishi and Daan Batra Mizuguchi were in the same vehicle. The car they were driving, a silver SUV, was maneuvering the roads of a small island located southwest of Japan that night. Cape Irizaki on the island is the westernmost point of Japanese territory. The small island is called Yonaguni Island.

Yonaguni Island is one of the islands in the Yaeyama Islands region of Okinawa Prefecture. Yonaguni Island is located between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. It is only about 107.4 kilometers from Taiwan. The island has an elliptical shape. The area of ​​Yonaguni Island is approximately 28.88 square kilometers, with a circumference of approximately 27 to 27.5 kilometers.

(000)

2378 days, or 6 years, 6 months, and approximately 1 week before the Omatsuri Circumadversum, a few minutes before midnight.

Yuukyuritoo Mitsuishi Daan Batra Mizuguchi had listened and listened attentively to the entire explanation from the five senior figures before them. These five people were none other than Professor Hoshimu Kimura, Prime Minister Yuuichirou Hatoyama, Riichi Morichi, Tomoko Sairenji, and John Anatole Holland.

Yuukyuuritoo and Daan were also familiar with the divisions that existed in the Buriki Kan no Burakku at that time. In addition to the "G" division, there were now "H" and "ij" divisions. Yuukyuritoo and Dan knew the symbols and functions of each division.

Yuukyuritoo and Dan had also been told that one person could handle the duties of one or two divisions. At that time, Yuukryuritoo was assigned to the H and ij divisions. Meanwhile, Daan was placed in division G and division ij.