1.
Aomori Prefecture
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Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region. The capital is the city of Aomori, until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as the northern part of Mutsu Province. During the Edo period the Hirosaki clan began building a seaport at the current city of Aomori, there were green woods near the city which were used as landmarks for the ships that came into port. These green woods called aoi-mori is where Aomori got its name, the prefecture came into existence in 1871. The town of Aomori was established in 1889, the town was incorporated as a city in 1898 with a population of 28,000. On May 3,1910 a fire out in the Yasukata district. Fanned by strong winds, the fire devastated the whole city. The conflagration claimed 26 lives and injured a further 160 residents and it destroyed 5,246 houses and burnt 19 storage sheds and 157 warehouses. At 10,30 p. m. on July 28,1945 a squadron of American B29 bombers bombed over 90% of the city, radio Aomori made its first broadcast in 1951. Four years later, the first fish auctions were held,1958 saw the completion of the Municipal Fish Market as well as the opening of the Citizens Hospital. In the same year, the Tsugaru Line established a connection with Minmaya Village at the tip of the peninsula. Various outlying towns and villages were incorporated into the city and with the absorption of Nonai Village in 1962. Almost exactly three years later, on March 13, railroad service was inaugurated on the Tsugaru Kaikyo Line and that same day saw the end of the Seikan Ferry service. During their 80 years of service, the ferries of the Seikan line sailed between Aomori and Hakodate some 720,000 times, carrying 160 million passengers. In April 1993, Aomori Public College opened, in August 1994, Aomori City made an Education, Culture and Friendship Exchange Pact with Kecskemét in Hungary. One year later a treaty was signed with Pyongtaek in South Korea. In April 1995, Aomori Airport began offering regular international air service to Seoul, South Korea, and Khabarovsk, Russia. In June 2007, four North Korean defectors reached Aomori Prefecture, after having been at sea for six days, in March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan on the east coast
2.
Akita Prefecture
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Akita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita, the area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu. Akita was a region of hunter-gatherers and principally nomadic tribes, the first historical record of what is now Akita Prefecture dates to 658, when the Abe no Hirafu conquered the native Ezo tribes at what are now the cities of Akita and Noshiro. Hirafu, then governor of Koshi Province, established a fort on the Mogami River, in 733, a new military settlement—later renamed Akita Castle—was built in modern-day Akita city at Takashimizu, and more permanent roads and structures were developed. The region was used as a base of operations for the Japanese empire as it drove the native Ezo people from northern Honshū. During the Tokugawa shogunate it was appropriated to the Satake clan, throughout this period, it was classified as part of Dewa Province. In 1871, during the Meiji Restoration, Dewa Province was reshaped, the famous Heian period waka poet, Ono no Komachi, is said to have been born in Yuzawa City, Ogachi Town, located in the southeast of the prefecture. Akita Prefecture is rectangular in shape, roughly 181 km from north to south and 111 km from west to east, the Ōu Mountains mark the eastern border of the prefecture, and the higher Dewa Mountains run parallel through the center of the prefecture. Like much of northern Japan, the prefecture has cold winters, the Oga Peninsula is a prominent feature of the coastline. This has led many people to migrate to Tokyo and other large cities. Akita Prefecture is where declines in population are most severe in Japan and it also has the lowest number of children as a percentage of the population, at 11. 2%. As of 2010, it has a population of just over 1 million people, Akita is famous for rice farming and its sake breweries. It is well known for having the highest consumption of sake in Japan, the women of the region, referred to as Akita bijin, have also gained widespread renown for their white skin, rounded faces and high voices, all of which are considered highly desirable. Ono no Komachi is an example of an Akita bijin. Kiritanpo Nabe Gakko Rice – Akita komachi Sake Near Lake Tazawa and these are popular with tourists from all over Japan. In addition, its numerous seasonal festivals offer a glimpse of rural or traditional Japan, some famous examples are the Akita Kantō, the Omagari Fireworks, Namahage Festival, and the Yokote Kamakura Festivals. Kakunodate is a charming old town, known as the little Kyoto. The Aoyagi house is the residence of Odano Naotake, the man who illustrated Japans first modern guide to the human anatomy
3.
Fukushima Prefecture
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Fukushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima, until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was part of what was known as Mutsu Province. The Shirakawa Barrier and the Nakoso Barrier were built around the 5th century to protect civilized Japan from the barbarians to the north, Fukushima became a Province of Mutsu after the Taika Reforms were established in 646. In 718, the provinces of Iwase and Iwaki were created, the province of Fukushima was conquered by Prince Subaru in 1293. This region of Japan is also known as Michinoku and Ōshū, the Fukushima Incident took place in the prefecture after Mishima Michitsune was appointed governor in 1882. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the resulting Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster caused significant damage to the prefecture, primarily, on Friday, March 11,2011,14,46 JST, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. Fukushima City, located in Naka-dōri and the capital of Fukushima Prefecture, following the earthquake there were isolated reports of major damage to structures, including the failure of Fujinuma Dam as well as damage from landslides. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami that hit the eastern coast of the prefecture and caused widespread destruction. In the two following the earthquake,1,817 residents of Fukushima Prefecture had either been confirmed dead or were missing as a result of the earthquake. Many residents were evacuated to nearby localities due to the development of an evacuation zone around the plant. Radiation levels near the plant peaked at 400 mSv/h after the earthquake and tsunami and this resulted in increased recorded radiation levels across Japan. On April 11,2011, officials upgraded the disaster to a level 7 out of a possible 7, Fukushima is both the southernmost prefecture of Tōhoku region and the prefecture of Tōhoku region that is closest to Tokyo. It is divided by mountain ranges into three regions called Aizu, Nakadōri, and Hamadōri, the mountainous Aizu region has scenic lakes, lush forests, and snowy winters. Thanks to Fukushimas climate, various fruits are grown throughout the year and these include pears, peaches, cherries, grapes, and apples. As of March 2011, the prefecture produced 20. 6% of Japans peaches and 8. 7% of cucumbers, Fukushima also produces rice, that combined with pure water from mountain run-offs, is used to make sake. Some sakes from the region are considered so tasteful that they are served to visiting royalty, lacquerware is another popular product from Fukushima. Dating back over four hundred years, the process of making lacquerware involves carving an object out of wood, then putting a lacquer on it, objects made are usually dishes, vases and writing utensils. Legend has it that an ogress, Adachigahara, once roamed the plain after whom it was named, the Adachigahara plain lies close to the city of Fukushima
4.
Miyagi Prefecture
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Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region on Honshu island. Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu, Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the largest as it expanded northward. The ancient capital was at Taga-jō in modern Miyagi Prefecture, in the third month of second year of the Wadō era, there was an uprising against governmental authority in Mutsu Province and in nearby Echigo Province. Troops were promptly dispatched to subdue the revolt, in Wadō5, the land of Mutsu Province was administratively separated from Dewa Province. During the Sengoku period various clans ruled different parts of the province, in the Meiji period, four new provinces were created from parts of Mutsu, Rikuchū, Rikuzen, Iwaki, and Iwashiro. The area that is now Aomori Prefecture continued to be part of Mutsu until the abolition of the han system, Date Masamune built a castle at Sendai as his seat to rule Mutsu. In 1871, Sendai Prefecture was formed and it was renamed Miyagi prefecture the following year. On March 11,2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the tsunami was estimated to be approximately 10 meters high in Miyagi Prefecture. On April 7,2011,7. 4-magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Miyagi, Japan, workers were then evacuated from the nearby troubled Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear facility once again, as a tsunami warning was issued for the coastline. Residents were told to flee for inner land at this time, officials from the U. S. Geological Survey later downgraded the magnitude to 7.1 from 7.4. In 2013, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako visited the prefecture to see the progress made since the tsunami, Miyagi Prefecture is in the central part of Tōhoku, facing the Pacific Ocean, and contains Tōhokus largest city, Sendai. There are high mountains on the west and along the northeast coast, matsushima is known as one of the three most scenic views of Japan, with a bay full of 260 small islands covered in pine groves. Oshika Peninsula projects from the coastline of the prefecture. Fourteen cities are located in Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai - the largest, as of March 2011, the prefecture produced 4. 7% of Japans rice, 23% of oysters, and 15. 9% of sauries. In July 2011, the Japanese government decided to ban all shipments of cattle from northeast Miyagi Prefecture over fears of radioactive contamination. Matsushima Bay Sendai Airport The sports teams listed below are based in Miyagi Prefecture, baseball Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Tohoku Reia Football Vegalta Sendai Sony Sendai F. C. Sendai was the castle town of the daimyo Date Masamune. The remains of Sendai Castle stand on a hill above the city, Miyagi Prefecture boasts one of Japans three greatest sights. Matsushima, the islands, dot the waters off the coast of the prefecture
5.
Yamagata Prefecture
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Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on Honshu island. The aboriginal Ezo people once inhabited the area now known as Yamagata, Yamagata and Akita Prefecture were known as Dewa Province until the Meiji Restoration. During the Heian Period, the Fujiwara family ruled the area, Yamagata City flourished during the Edo Period due to its status as a castle town and post station, famous for beni. In 1689, the haiku poet, Matsuo Bashō visited Yamagata during his five-month trip to the northern regions of Japan. Yamagata Prefecture is located in the southwest corner of Tōhoku, facing the Sea of Japan and it borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture on the south, Miyagi Prefecture on the east, and Akita Prefecture on the north. All of these boundaries are marked by mountains, with most of the population residing in a central plain. Both spring and autumn are short, the often cold, the latter often warm. Yamagata Prefecture, along with parts of Miyagi and Iwate are the transition areas from humid subtropical climate to humid continental within the Japan mainland. Winter temperatures rarely fall below -10 °C in populated areas, they rise above 30 °C in July. Precipitation falls all year round and the remnants of one or perhaps two typhoons usually pass through between August and October, the winters see heavy snowfall especially at higher elevations, though the Japan Sea coast is milder and has more rain. Snowfall for Shinjō is typical of populated areas, snowfall for Yamagata City typical of the valleys. The central mountains around Gassan may see as much as 3000 cm of snow in a season with depths up to 8 metres at higher elevations, Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of such as grapes, apples, peaches. As of October 2012, Yamagata Prefecture had a population of 1,152,000, the prefecture also has one of the oldest populations in Japan. As of 2004,12. 8% of the population was aged between 65 and 74, and 12. 1% was over 75, over 40% of households in Yamagata contain one or more relatives aged 65 or over. Yamagata Prefecture has a number of festivals and events. Yamagata City is the home of the bi-annual Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in October, in February, a snow lantern festival is held in Yonezawa at the Uesugi Shrine. Hundreds of candle-lit lanterns light pathways dug into the snow around the shrine, Yonezawa is also the site of the Uesugi Festival in mid-spring
6.
Ainu people
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The Ainu or the Aynu, in the historical Japanese texts Ezo/Emishi/Ebisu or Ainu, are an indigenous people of Japan and Russia. Many Ainu today have been assimilated into Japanese identity. Recent research suggests that Ainu culture originated from a merger of the Okhotsk, in 1264, Ainu invaded the land of Nivkh people controlled by the Yuan Dynasty of Mongolia, resulting in battles between Ainu and the Chinese. Active contact between the Wajin and the Ainu of Ezochi began in the 13th century, the Ainu formed a society of hunter-gatherers, surviving mainly by hunting and fishing. They followed a religion which was based on natural phenomena, during the Muromachi period, the disputes between the Japanese and Ainu developed into a war. Takeda Nobuhiro killed the Ainu leader, Koshamain, Many Ainu were subject to Japanese rule which led to a violent Ainu revolt such as Koshamains Revolt in 1456. The Tokugawa bakufu granted the Matsumae clan exclusive rights to trade with the Ainu in the part of the island. Later, the Matsumae began to lease out trading rights to Japanese merchants, throughout this period the Ainu became increasingly dependent on goods imported by the Japanese, and were suffering from epidemic diseases such as smallpox. The most important was Shakushains Revolt, an Ainu rebellion against Japanese authority, another large-scale revolt by Ainu against Japanese rule was the Menashi-Kunashir Battle in 1789. In the 18th century there were 80,000 Ainu, in 1868 there were about 15,000 Ainu in Hokkaido,2000 in Sakhalin, and around 100 in the Kuril islands. In 1869, the new Meiji government renamed Ezo as Hokkaido and it banned the Ainu language, took Ainu land away, and prohibited salmon fishing and deer hunting. The beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868 proved a point for Ainu culture. The Japanese government introduced a variety of social, political and economic reforms in hope of modernizing the country in the Western style, one innovation involved the annexation of Hokkaido. Second … it offered a solution to the unemployment for the samurai class … Finally. Also at this time, the Ainu were granted automatic Japanese citizenship, during this time the Ainu were forced to learn Japanese, required to adopt Japanese names, and ordered to cease religious practices such as animal sacrifice and the custom of tattooing. The 1899 act mentioned above was replaced in 1997—until then the government had stated there were no ethnic minority groups and it was not until June 6,2008, that Japan formally recognised the Ainu as an indigenous group. The vast majority of these Wajin men are believed to have compelled Ainu women into partnering with them as local wives, intermarriage between Japanese and Ainu was actively promoted by the Ainu to lessen the chances of discrimination against their offspring. As a result, many Ainu are indistinguishable from their Japanese neighbors, for example, Oki, born as a child of an Ainu father and a Japanese mother, became a musician who plays the traditional Ainu instrument tonkori
7.
Heian period
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The Heian period is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism, the Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface, the power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan. Many emperors actually had mothers from the Fujiwara family, the Heian period was preceded by the Nara period and began in 794 A. D. after the movement of the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō, by the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu. Kanmu first tried to move the capital to Nagaoka-kyō, but a series of disasters befell the city, prompting the emperor to relocate the capital a second time, a rebellion occurred in China in the last years of the 9th century, making the political situation unstable. The Japanese missions to Tang China was suspended and the influx of Chinese exports halted, therefore the Heian Period is considered a high point in Japanese culture that later generations have always admired. The period is noted for the rise of the samurai class. Nominally, sovereignty lay in the emperor but in power was wielded by the Fujiwara nobility. However, to protect their interests in the provinces, the Fujiwara and other noble families required guards, police, the warrior class made steady political gains throughout the Heian period. Still, a military takeover of the Japanese government was centuries away. The entry of the class into court influence was a result of the Hōgen Rebellion. At this time Taira no Kiyomori revived the Fujiwara practices by placing his grandson on the throne to rule Japan by regency and their clan, the Taira, would not be overthrown until after the Genpei War, which marked the start of the shogunate. The Kamakura period began in 1185 when Minamoto no Yoritomo seized power from the emperors, Nara was abandoned after only 70 years in part due to the ascendancy of Dōkyō and the encroaching secular power of the Buddhist institutions there. Kyōto had good access to the sea and could be reached by land routes from the eastern provinces. The early Heian period continued Nara culture, the Heian capital was patterned on the Chinese Tang capital at Changan, as was Nara, Kanmu endeavoured to improve the Tang-style administrative system which was in use. Known as the ritsuryō, this attempted to recreate the Tang imperium in Japan. Despite the decline of the Taika–Taihō reforms, imperial government was vigorous during the early Heian period, Kanmus avoidance of drastic reform decreased the intensity of political struggles, and he became recognized as one of Japans most forceful emperors
8.
Culture of Japan
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Japanese is the official and primary language of Japan. Japanese is relatively small but has a lexically distinct pitch-accent system, early Japanese is known largely on the basis of its state in the 8th century, when the three major works of Old Japanese were compiled. The earliest attestation of the Japanese language is in a Chinese document from 252 AD, Japanese is written with a combination of three scripts, hiragana, derived from the Chinese cursive script, katakana, derived as a shorthand from Chinese characters, and kanji, imported from China. The Latin alphabet, rōmaji, is often used in modern Japanese, especially for company names and logos, advertising. The Hindu-Arabic numerals are used for numbers, but traditional Sino-Japanese numerals are also very common. Early works of Japanese literature were influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature. Indian literature also had an influence through the spread of Buddhism throughout Japan, eventually, Japanese literature developed into a separate style in its own right as Japanese writers began writing their own works about Japan. Since Japan reopened its ports to Western trading and diplomacy in the 19th century, Western and Eastern literature have strongly affected each other, the music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽, combining the kanji 音 on with the kanji 楽 gaku. Japan is the second largest music market in the world, behind the United States, and the largest in Asia, local music often appears at karaoke venues, which is on lease from the record labels. Traditional Japanese music is different from Western Music and is based on the intervals of human breathing rather than mathematical timing. In 1873, a British traveler claimed that Japanese music, exasperates beyond all endurance the European breast. Painting has been an art in Japan for a long time, the brush is a traditional writing and painting tool. Japanese painters are often categorized by what they painted, as most of them constrained themselves solely to subjects such as animals, landscapes, Chinese papermaking was introduced to Japan around the 7th century. Later, washi was developed from it, native Japanese painting techniques are still in use today, as well as techniques adopted from continental Asia and from the West. Famous Japanese painters include Kanō Sanraku, Maruyama Ōkyo, and Tani Bunchō, the flowing, brush-drawn Japanese rendering of text itself is seen as a traditional art form as well as a means of conveying written information. The written work can consist of phrases, poems, stories, the style and format of the writing can mimic the subject matter, even to the point of texture and stroke speed. In some cases, it can take one hundred attempts to produce the desired effect of a single character
9.
Indigenous peoples
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Groups are usually described as indigenous when they maintain traditions or other aspects of an early culture that is associated with a given region. Not all indigenous peoples share such characteristics, Indigenous societies are found in every inhabited climate zone and continent of the world. Estimates put the population of indigenous peoples from 220 million to 350 million. The adjective indigenous is derived from the Latin word indigena, which is based on the root gen- to be born with a form of the prefix in in. Any given people, ethnic group or community may be described as indigenous in reference to some particular region or location that they see as their tribal land claim. Other terms used to refer to indigenous populations are aboriginal, native, original, james Anaya, former Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has defined indigenous peoples as living descendants of pre-invasion inhabitants of lands now dominated by others. They are culturally distinct groups that find themselves engulfed by other settler societies born of forces of empire, throughout history, different states designate the groups within their boundaries that are recognized as indigenous peoples according to international or national legislation by different terms. Their ability to influence and participate in the policies that may exercise jurisdiction over their traditional lands. The presence of external laws, claims and cultural mores either potentially or actually act to constrain the practices and observances of an indigenous society. These constraints can be observed even when the society is regulated largely by its own tradition. They may be imposed, or arise as unintended consequence of trans-cultural interaction. They may have an effect, even where countered by other external influences. This definition has some limitations, because the definition applies mainly to pre-colonial populations, the primary impetus in considering indigenous identity comes from the post-colonial movements and considering the historical impacts on populations by the European imperialism. Greek sources of the Classical period acknowledge the existence of indigenous people. These peoples inhabited lands surrounding the Aegean Sea before the subsequent migrations of the Hellenic ancestors claimed by these authors, the disposition and precise identity of this former group is elusive, and sources such as Homer, Hesiod and Herodotus give varying, partially mythological accounts. However, it is clear that cultures existed whose indigenous characteristics were distinguished by the subsequent Hellenic cultures, greco-Roman society flourished between 250 BC and 480 AD and commanded successive waves of conquests that gripped more than half of the globe. The rapid and extensive spread of the various European powers from the early 15th century onwards had an impact upon many of the indigenous cultures with whom they came into contact. The Canary Islands had an indigenous population called the Guanches whose origin is still the subject of discussion among historians, the United Nations estimates that there are over 370 million indigenous people living in over 70 countries worldwide
10.
Cast iron
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Cast iron is a group of iron-carbon alloys with a carbon content greater than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its low melting temperature. Carbon ranging from 1. 8–4 wt%, and silicon 1–3 wt% are the main alloying elements of cast iron, Iron alloys with less carbon content are known as steel. While this technically makes the Fe–C–Si system ternary, the principle of cast iron solidification can be understood from the simpler binary iron–carbon phase diagram, cast iron tends to be brittle, except for malleable cast irons. It is resistant to destruction and weakening by oxidation, the earliest cast iron artefacts date to the 5th century BC, and were discovered by archaeologists in what is now Jiangsu in China. Cast iron was used in ancient China for warfare, agriculture, during the 15th century, cast iron became utilized for artillery in Burgundy, France, and in England during the Reformation. The first cast iron bridge was built during the 1770s by Abraham Darby III, cast iron is also used in the construction of buildings. Cast iron is made by re-melting pig iron, often along with quantities of iron, steel, limestone, carbon. Phosphorus and sulfur may be burnt out of the iron, but this also burns out the carbon. Depending on the application, carbon and silicon content are adjusted to the desired levels, other elements are then added to the melt before the final form is produced by casting. Cast iron is melted in a special type of blast furnace known as a cupola. After melting is complete, the molten cast iron is poured into a furnace or ladle. Cast irons properties are changed by adding various alloying elements, or alloyants, next to carbon, silicon is the most important alloyant because it forces carbon out of solution. A low percentage of silicon allows carbon to remain in solution forming iron carbide, a high percentage of silicon forces carbon out of solution forming graphite and the production of grey cast iron. Other alloying agents, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, titanium and vanadium counteracts silicon, promotes the retention of carbon, nickel and copper increase strength, and machinability, but do not change the amount of graphite formed. The carbon in the form of graphite results in an iron, reduces shrinkage, lowers strength. Sulfur, largely a contaminant when present, forms iron sulfide, the problem with sulfur is that it makes molten cast iron viscous, which causes defects. To counter the effects of sulfur, manganese is added because the two form into manganese sulfide instead of iron sulfide, the manganese sulfide is lighter than the melt so it tends to float out of the melt and into the slag
11.
Teapot
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A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or an herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water, and for serving the resulting infusion which is called tea. Teapots usually have an opening with a lid at their top, where the dry tea and hot water are added, a handle for holding by hand, some teapots have a strainer built-in on the inner edge of the spout. A small air hole in the lid is often created to stop the spout from dripping and splashing when tea is poured. In modern times, a cover called a tea cosy may be used to enhance the steeping process or to prevent the contents of the teapot from cooling too rapidly. The teapot was invented in China during the Yuan Dynasty and it was probably derived from ceramic kettles and wine pots, which were made of bronze and other metals and were a feature of Chinese life for thousands of years. Tea preparation during previous dynasties did not use a teapot, in the Tang Dynasty, a cauldron was used to boil ground tea, which was served in bowls. Song Dynasty tea was made by boiling water in a kettle then pouring the water into a bowl with finely ground tea leaves, a brush was then used to stir the tea. Written evidence of a teapot appears in the Yuan Dynasty text Jiyuan Conghua, by the Ming Dynasty, teapots were widespread in China. The earliest example of a teapot that has survived to this day seems to be the one in the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware, it has been dated to 1513 and is attributed to Gongchun. Early teapots are small by western standards because they are designed for a single drinker. The size reflects the importance of serving single portions so that the flavours can be concentrated and controlled. From the end of the 17th century tea was shipped from China to Europe as part of the export of exotic spices, the ships that brought the tea also carried porcelain teapots. The majority of these teapots were painted in blue and white underglaze, porcelain, being completely vitrified, will withstand sea water without damage, so the teapots were packed below deck whilst the tea was stowed above deck to ensure that it remained dry. Tea drinking in Europe was initially the preserve of the upper classes, porcelain teapots were particularly desirable because porcelain could not be made in Europe at that time. It wasnt until 1708 that Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus devised a way of making porcelain in Dresden, Germany, when European potteries began to make their own tea wares they were inspired by the Chinese designs. In colonial America, Boston became the epicenter for silver production, among the many artists in Boston there were four major families in the citys silver market, Edwards, Revere, Burt and Hurd. Their works of art included silver teapots, to keep teapots hot after tea is first brewed, early English households employed the tea cosy, a padded fabric covering, much like a hat, that slips over the tea pot. Often decorated with lace or log cabin motifs in the early 1900s, a chocolate teapot is a teapot that would be made from chocolate
12.
Stove
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A stove is an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated, or to heat the stove itself and items placed on it. This article is concerned with enclosed stoves burning solid fuels for room heating. A kitchen stove is used to cook food, a wood-burning stove or a coal stove is typically used for heating a dwelling. Enclosed stoves are efficient and prevents air from being sucked from the room into the chimney. Due to concerns about air pollution, efforts have made to improve stove design. Pellet stoves, for example are a type of clean-burning stove, air-tight stoves more completely combust wood and eliminate polluting combustion products. In the U. S. since 1992, all wood stoves being manufactured must limit particulate emission, the Old English word stofa meant any individual enclosed space, such as a room, and stove is still occasionally used in that sense, as in stoved in. In its earliest attestation, cooking was done by roasting meat, pottery and other cooking vessels may be placed directly on an open fire, but setting the vessel on a support, as simple as a base of three stones, resulted in a stove. The three-stone stove is still used around the world. In some areas it developed into a U-shaped dried mud or brick enclosure with the opening in the front for fuel and air, a kitchen stove, cooker, or cookstove is a kitchen appliance designed for the purpose of cooking food. Kitchen stoves rely on the application of heat for the cooking process. Traditionally these have been fueled by wood and one of the earliest recorded instances of a burning kitchen stove was the so-called stew stove. More modern versions such as the popular Rayburn Range offer a choice between using wood or gas as the fuel source, the most common stove for heating in the industrial world for almost a century and a half was the coal stove that burned coal. Coal stoves came in all sizes and shapes and different operating principles, coal burns at a much higher temperature than wood, and coal stoves must be constructed to withstand the high heat levels. A coal stove can burn wood or coal, but a wood stove cannot burn coal unless a grate is supplied. The grate may be removable or an extra and this is because coal stoves are fitted with a grate so allowing part of the combustion air to be admitted below the fire. The proportion of air admitted above/below the fire depends on the type of coal, brown coal and lignites evolve more combustible gases than say anthracite and so need more air above the fire. The ratio of air above/below the fire must be adjusted to enable complete combustion
This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies website http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/.—Japan
This article incorporates 
Tōhoku region travel guide from Wikivoyage
