Mimizuka

뚜래블러

If you're visiting Kyoto, you might want to consider... A tomb where 120,000 Korean ears and noses, taken as trophies by Japanese troops during the invasions of Korea, are buried. Though it's called the 'Ear Tomb,' most of them are noses. There's a tale that it was renamed to Ear Tomb because the name 'Nose Tomb' was deemed too eerie. It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered rewards based on the number of ears and noses collected. Capturing the enemies' ears or noses to verify battlefield achievements was common, but applying this to living civilians was unprecedented. On the way to the shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Toyokuni Shrine, the tomb is noticeably large, a way to boast about how great we (Hideyoshi) were, which is not necessarily a cause for celebration. Originally, a person named Shimizu Shiro and his descendants took care of the tomb quietly for generations. Before passing, Mr. Shimizu willed the property to be sold to Koreans living in Japan, and now it is owned by a Korean who has named it 'Magpie's House'. It seems well maintained and possibly still under care. Not far from Kiyomizu Temple and easily found on Google, it might be worth a visit. Despite the debates over visiting Japan on March 1st, people agree that one should not forget history. If you're in Japan, visiting historical sites like the Ear Tomb, statues of poets Chong Chi-yong and Yun Dong-ju at Doshisha University, a memorial for Koreans in Hiroshima, or Yun Dong-ju's martyrdom site in Fukuoka Prison might be a good idea.