The Tanuki Kotatsu Reading Den 
January 7th
新書太閣記 progress: 00.53% // Volume I: 06.10% 
I said it yesterday but again, the descriptions are really good. It’s impressive how much emotional weight Yoshikawa can express in such few words, really makes the scenes feel very real.
Also managed to finish the chapter.
Words found under the kotatsu
旗指物「はたさしもの」ー The small flag that some samurai carry on their back in battle
騎「き」ー Counter for horsemen
荷駄「にだ」ー Pack; horseload
野薔薇「のいばら」ー Multiflora Rose / Japanese Rose
兵馬「へいば」ー Arms and cavalry; troops; military affairs
前線「ぜんせん」ー Weather front; the front lines; action zone
床几「しょうぎ」ー Folding stool; camp stool
籠手「こて」ー Gauntlet; bracer
颯々「さつさつ」ー Rustling; murmuring; whistling
恍惚「こうこつ」ー Rapture; ecstasy
Forms
酬いる ＝ 報いる「むくいる」(to reward; to recompense; to repay)
Alt Meanings
駒「こま」ー Shogi/chess piece // But has an archaic meaning: horse; foal
Character Name List
for easy referencing later, because these will take some remembering
Also probably some spoilers, but this is a historic novel, so can spoilers really exist for things that have (for the most part) actually happened 
Main
Hideyoshi: 豊臣秀吉「とよとみ ひでよし」// 豊太閤「ほうたいこう」
Volume I Characters
日吉「ひよし」
(Hideyoshi as a child)
Friends
仁王「におう」- Big kid friend
於福「おふく」- Timid kid friend
Family
弥右衛門「やえもん」- Father
加藤清正「かとう きよまさ」- Ojisan (only distantly related)
Others
織田信秀「おだ のぶひで」(Daimyo) (Foreshadowing drum noises)
– 織田与三郎「おだ よさぶろう」(Younger brother)
今川義元「いまがわ よしもと」(Daimyo)
五郎大夫 「ごろ だゆう」// 祥瑞「しょうずい」(Goro’s Chinese name)
– Servant of Goro: 捨次郎「すてじろう」
– Mother of Goro’s child: 梨琴「りきん」
– Rikin’s & Goro’s child: 楊景福「ようけいふく」
Historical People
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阿倍仲麻呂「あべ の なかまろ」ー Japanese scholar & poet (around 700AD)
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白楽天「はく きょい」ー Late 700s Chinese poet (Bai Juyi / Bo Juyi) also known as: 白楽天「はく らくてん」in Japan.
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道元「どうげん」(or 道元禅師「どうげん ぜんじ」ー Japanese Buddhist Priest, writer & poet (Early to mid 1200s) (also known as 栄西禅師「えいさい ぜんじ」)
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空海「くうかい」ー The one and only Kukai or Kobo Daishi - a Buddhist monk. Posthumously given the title of: 弘法大師「こうぼう だいし」born as: 佐伯 眞魚「さえき の まお」(late 700s to early 800s)
Replies
Congrats! This is great! 
Congrats this is also great!
It’s a flashback to young Rei, Karutos, and Stela being in magical med school together.
シャドーハウス Volume 4 (13% ➨ 33%)
I’m enjoying all the mysterious happenings and trying to figure out what’s going on, but mostly I’m enjoying all the ridiculous things 山猫 does and everyone around him being like “why are you like this” 
poor 勝村 lmao, 
ラストで君は「まさか！」と言う 冬の物語 (48% → 52%)
I admit I rushed things in the end because I don’t really care about volleyball 
I’m sorry, volleyball boys… But hey, I learned some new words and expressions, so that’s something. I’m excited to read something different tomorrow. I’ve also got this real itch to purchase some physical manga. I might be getting paid next week (I didn’t think I would until next month??) and I really want to order something for myself, something to look forward to. Getting stuff in the mail is like getting a gift from my past self.
