title: Jidaigeki

text: Many "jidaigeki" take place in Edo, the military capital. Others show the adventures of people wandering from place to place. The long-running television series "Zenigata Heiji" and "Abarenbō Shōgun" typify the Edo "jidaigeki". "Mito Kōmon", the fictitious story of the travels of the historical "daimyō" Tokugawa Mitsukuni, and the "Zatoichi" movies and television series, exemplify the traveling style.


title: Jidaigeki

text: Another way to categorize "jidaigeki" is according to the social status of the principal characters. The title character of "Abarenbō Shōgun" is Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa "shōgun". The head of the samurai class, Yoshimune assumes the disguise of a low-ranking hatamoto, a samurai in the service of the shogun. Similarly, Mito Kōmon is the retired vice-shogun, masquerading as a merchant. In contrast, the coin-throwing Heiji of "Zenigata Heiji" is a commoner, working for the police, while Ichi (the title character of "Zatoichi"), a blind masseur, is an outcast, as were many disabled people in that era. In fact, masseurs, who typically were at the bottom of the professional food chain, was one of the few vocational positions available to the blind in that era. "Gokenin Zankurō" is a samurai but, due to his low rank and income, he has to work extra jobs that higher-ranking samurai were unaccustomed to doing.


title: Jidaigeki

text: Whether the lead role is samurai or commoner, "jidaigeki" usually reach a climax in an immense sword fight just before the end. The title character of a series always wins, whether using a sword or a "jutte" (the device police used to trap, and sometimes to bend or break, an opponent's sword).


title: Jidaigeki

text: Sengoku-jidai (Warring States era setting) is a Japanese genre that has been used as the setting for novels, films, video games, anime and manga. It bears some parallels with the Western; Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai", for example, was remade in a Western setting as "The Magnificent Seven".


title: Jidaigeki

text: Among the characters in "jidaigeki" are a parade of people with occupations unfamiliar to modern Japanese and especially to foreigners. Here are a few:


title: Jidaigeki

text: The warrior class included samurai, hereditary members in the military service of a "daimyō" or the "shōgun", who was a samurai himself. "Rōnin", samurai without masters, were also warriors, and like samurai, wore two swords, but they were without inherited employment or status. "Bugeisha" were men, or in some stories women, who aimed to perfect their martial arts, often by traveling throughout the country. "Ninja" were the secret service, specializing in stealth, the use of disguises, explosives, and concealed weapons.


title: Jidaigeki

text: Craftsmen in "jidaigeki" included metalworkers (often abducted to mint counterfeit coins), bucket-makers, carpenters and plasterers, and makers of woodblock prints for art or newspapers.


title: Jidaigeki

text: In addition to the owners of businesses large and small, the "jidaigeki" often portray the employees. The "bantō" was a high-ranking employee of a merchant, the "tedai", a lower helper. Many merchants employed children, or "kozō". Itinerant merchants included the organized medicine-sellers, vegetable-growers from outside the city, and peddlers at fairs outside temples and shrines. In contrast, the great brokers in rice, lumber and other commodities operated sprawling shops in the city.


title: Jidaigeki

text: In the highest ranks of the shogunate were the "rojū". Below them were the "wakadoshiyori", then the various "bugyō" or administrators, including the "jisha bugyō" (who administered temples and shrines), the "kanjō bugyō" (in charge of finances) and the two "Edo machi bugyō". These last alternated by month as chief administrator of the city. Their role encompassed mayor, chief of police, and judge, and jury in criminal and civil matters.


title: Jidaigeki

text: The machi bugyō oversaw the police and fire departments. The police, or , included the high-ranking and the below them; both were samurai. In they often have full-time patrolmen, and , who were commoners. (Historically, such people were irregulars and were called to service only when necessary.) Zenigata Heiji is an . The police lived in barracks at Hatchōbori in Edo. They manned "ban'ya", the watch-houses, throughout the metropolis. The was the symbol of the police, from to .


title: Jidaigeki

text: A separate police force handled matters involving samurai. The "ōmetsuke" were high-ranking officials in the shogunate; the "metsuke" and "kachi-metsuke", lower-ranking police who could detain samurai. Yet another police force investigated arson-robberies, while Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples fell under the control of another authority. The feudal nature of Japan made these matters delicate, and jurisdictional disputes are common in "jidaigeki."


title: Jidaigeki

text: Edo had three fire departments. The "daimyō-bikeshi" were in the service of designated "daimyōs"; the "jōbikeshi" reported to the shogunate; while the "machi-bikeshi", beginning under Yoshimune, were commoners under the administration of the "machi-bugyō". Thus, even the fire companies have turf wars in the "jidaigeki".


title: Jidaigeki

text: Each "daimyō" maintained a residence in Edo, where he lived during "sankin-kōtai". His wife and children remained there even while he was away from Edo, and the ladies-in-waiting often feature prominently in "jidaigeki". A high-ranking samurai, the "Edo-garō", oversaw the affairs in the "daimyō"s absence. In addition to a staff of samurai, the household included "ashigaru" (lightly armed warrior-servants) and "chūgen" and "yakko" (servants often portrayed as flamboyant and crooked). Many "daimyōs" employed doctors, "goten'i"; their counterpart in the shogun's household was the "okuishi". Count on them to provide the poisons that kill and the potions that heal.


title: Jidaigeki

text: The cast of a wandering "jidaigeki" encountered a similar setting in each "han." There, the "karō" were the "kuni-garō" and the "jōdai-garō". Tensions between them have provided plots for many stories.


title: Jidaigeki

text: In addition, the authors of series invent their own catchphrases called that the protagonist says at the same point in nearly every episode. In "Mito Kōmon", in which the eponymous character disguises himself as a commoner, in the final sword fight, a sidekick invariably holds up an accessory bearing the shogunal crest and shouts, : "Back! Can you not see this emblem?", revealing the identity of the hitherto unsuspected old man with a goatee beard. The villains then instantly surrender and beg forgiveness. Likewise, Tōyama no Kin-san bares his tattooed shoulder and snarls, : "I won't let you say you forgot this cherry-blossom blizzard!" After sentencing the criminals, he proclaims, : "Case closed."


title: Jidaigeki

text: Although jidaigeki is essentially a Japanese genre, there are also Western games that use the setting to match the same standards. Examples are "Ghost of Tsushima", "" series or Japanese campaigns of "Age of Empires III".


title: Jidaigeki

text: "Star Wars" creator George Lucas has admitted to being inspired significantly by the period works of Akira Kurosawa, and many thematic elements found in "Star Wars" bear the influence of Chanbara filmmaking. In an interview, Lucas has specifically cited the fact that he became acquainted with the term "jidaigeki" while in Japan, and it is widely assumed that he took inspiration for the term Jedi from this.


title: Dakini

text: A ḍākinī (; ; ; ; alternatively 荼枳尼, ; 荼吉尼, ; or 吒枳尼, ; Japanese: 荼枳尼 / 吒枳尼 / 荼吉尼, "dakini") is a type of female spirit, goddess, or demon in Hinduism and Buddhism.


title: Dakini

text: The concept of the ḍākinī somewhat differs depending on the context and the tradition. For instance, in earlier Hindu texts and East Asian esoteric Buddhism, the term denotes a race of demonesses who ate the flesh and/or vital essence of humans. In Hindu Tantric literature, Ḍākinī is the name of a goddess often associated with one of the six chakras or the seven fundamental elements ("dhātu") of the human body. In Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhism, meanwhile, 'ḍākinī' (also wisdom ḍākinī) can refer to both what can be best described as fierce-looking female embodiments of enlightened energy and to human women with a certain amount of spiritual development, both of which can help Tantric initiates attaining enlightenment.


title: Dakini

text: In Japan, the ḍākinīs – held in the East Asian Buddhist tradition to have been subjugated and converted to Buddhism by the buddha Vairocana under the guise of the god Mahākāla (Daikokuten in Japanese) – were eventually coalesced into a single deity called Dakiniten (荼枳尼天, 吒枳尼天, or 荼吉尼天), who, after becoming syncretized with the native agricultural deity Inari, became linked to fox ("kitsune") iconography associated with the latter.


title: Dakini

text: The Sanskrit term ' is related to ', "to fly", as in ' (meaning "flight"). The Tibetan "khandroma" (), meaning "sky-goer", may have originated from the Sanskrit ' (of the same meaning), a term from the "Cakrasaṃvara Tantra". The masculine form of the word is "", which is usually translated into Tibetan as "pawo," "hero" ().


title: Dakini

text: In Chinese, "" is transcribed mainly as 荼枳尼 (), 荼吉尼 (), or 吒枳尼 (); other less common alternative transcriptions include 陀祇尼 ("tuóqíní"), 吒祇尼 ("zhāqíní"), 吒幾爾 ("zhājǐěr"), and 拏吉尼 ("nájíní"). It is also translated as 空行母 (), a calque of the Tibetan term. In Japanese, these transcriptions are all read as "dakini" (katakana: ダキニ; also ダーキニー, "dākinī").


title: Dakini

text: In certain passages in Hindu Purāṇic literature, ḍākinīs are depicted as flesh-eating demonesses in the train of the goddess Kālī. For instance, in the "Shiva Purāṇa" (2.2.33), Vīrabhadra and Mahākāḷī at Shiva's command march against Prajapati Daksha accompanied by the Nine Durgas and their fearsome attendants, namely "Ḍākinī, Śākinī, Bhūtas, Pramathas, Guhyakas, Kūṣmāṇḍas, Parpaṭas, Caṭakas, Brahma-Rākṣasas, Bhairavas and Kṣetrapālas." In the "Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa" (3.41.30), Paraśurāma sees ḍākinīs among Shiva's retinue ("gaṇa") in Mount Kailash.


title: Dakini

text: In the "Bhāgavata Purāṇa" (10.06.27–29), after the young Krishna had killed the demoness Pūtanā, the cowherd women ("gopis") of Vrindavan carry out protective rites to keep him safe from future harm. At the end of the ritual, they declare:


title: Dakini

text: Other texts meanwhile apparently use 'Ḍākinī' as the name of a goddess. In the "Lalitopākhyāna" ("Narrative of [the goddess] Lalitā") section of the "Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa", Ḍākinī is one of the deities who guards the chariot of the boar-faced goddess Daṇḍanāthā, one of Lalitā's generals.


title: Dakini

text: A chapter detailing the mode of worship of the goddess Kubjikā contained in the "Agni Purāṇa" instructs that the goddesses "Ḍākinī, Rākinī, Kākinī, Śākinī, and Yakṣiṇī should be worshipped in the six directions (coming) from the north-west."


title: Dakini

text: In Tantric literature, Ḍākinī the goddess is usually associated with the "saptadhātus" (the seven primary constituent elements of the human body) or the six chakras. The "Kubjikāmata Tantra" for instance enumerates seven "yoginī" goddesses (Kusumamālinī, Yakṣiṇī, Śaṅkhinī, Kākinī, Lākinī, Rākinī, and Ḍākinī) to whom the ritual practitioner symbolically offers his semen, bones, marrow, fat, flesh, blood and skin, respectively. A nearly identical listing of goddesses can be found in a later text belonging to the same tradition, the "Śrīmatottara Tantra": here, the names listed are Dākinī, Rākinī, Lākinī, Kākinī, Śākinī, Hākinī, Yākinī and Kusumā. Another chapter in the "Kubjikāmata Tantra" lists two sequences of six goddesses, assigned to each of the six chakras: the first denotes the creative "northern course" of the six chakras, from the "ājñā" down to the "ādhāra", while the latter – comprising Ḍākinī, Rākinī, Lākinī, Kākinī, Śākinī and Hākinī – denotes the destructive "southern course", in reverse order.


title: Dakini

text: Later Tantric texts such as the "Rudrayāmala Tantra" identify Ḍākinī, Rākinī, Lākinī, Kākinī, Śākinī and Hākinī with the six chakras, the "dhātus" and the five elements plus the mind. This work associates Ḍākinī with the "mūlādhāra" chakra, Rākinī with "svādhiṣṭhāna", Lākinī with "maṇipūra", Kākinī with "anāhata", Śākinī with "viśuddhi", and Hākinī with "ājñā". The "Śrīmatottara Tantra" places Kusumamāla (absent in the "Rudrayāmala Tantra") at the feet, while other texts place a figure named Yākinī at the level of the "sahasrāra".


title: Dakini

text: In a chapter criticizing meat-eating in the "Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra", Gautama Buddha refers to dākas and ḍākinīs – described as "terrible eaters of human flesh" – as the offspring of the carnivorous King Kalmaśapada ("Spotted Feet"), who was born after a human king had mated with a lioness.


title: Dakini

text: In East Asian Buddhism, the ḍākinīs are mainly known via the story of their subjugation by the wrathful deity Mahākāla found in a commentary on the "Mahāvairocana Tantra" (also known as the "Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra") by the Tang dynasty monk Yi Xing. According to the story, the buddha Vairocana, wishing to stop the ḍākinīs from preying on humans, took the form of Mahākāla, summoned the ḍākinīs before him, and then swallowed them all, declaring that he would release them on the condition that they cease devouring human flesh. When the ḍākinīs complained that this would lead them to starvation, Mahākāla as a concession allowed them to consume the vital essence of deceased humans known as 'human yellow' (人黄, pinyin: "rénhuáng", Japanese: "jin'ō" / "ninnō") – an elusive substance (often described as five, six, seven, or ten grains resembling grains of millet, dewdrops or white jade) believed to be found either inside a person's liver, heart or at the top of the head – instead, teaching them a mantra enabling them to know of a person's impending death six months in advance so that they could obtain it before other demons, who also coveted the substance as it conferred various magical powers to the consumer.


title: Dakini

text: Other texts meanwhile assign the taming of the ḍākinīs to other figures such as Vajrapāṇi or the Wisdom King Acala (Fudō Myōō in Japanese). Indeed, in Japanese esoteric Buddhism Acala is believed to have the power to extend the lifespan of his devotees and was thus invoked in certain life-prolonging rituals against soul-stealing demons such as ḍākinīs. Like Mahākāla, Acala is interpreted in the Japanese tradition as a wrathful avatar of Vairocana, with some texts even identifying Mahākāla as Acala's "trace" ("suijaku") or manifestation.


title: Dakini

text: A dictionary compiled by the Tang dynasty monk Huilin (慧琳) titled "The Sound and Meaning of All Sūtras" (, pinyin: "Yīqièjīng yīnyì") defines ḍākinīs (荼抧尼) as demonesses who bewitch people and have sexual relationships with them.


title: Dakini

text: The ḍākinī imagery arrived in Japan via Kūkai's introduction of Tangmi (East Asian esoteric Buddhism) to the country in the beginning of the 9th century (early Heian period) in the form of the Shingon school. The Womb Realm ("Garbhakoṣadhātu") Mandala, one of the two main mandalas of Shingon Buddhism, depicts three ḍākinīs in the southern (right-hand side) part of the mandala's Outer Vajra section (外金剛部院, "gekongōbu-in") in the court of Yama (Enmaten in Japanese), next to the Saptamātṛkās and other similar deities. The figures are half-naked and seated on circular mats next to a human corpse. One of the ḍākinīs is shown devouring a human arm and a leg; the other two hold skulls ("kapāla") in their right hands, and one holds a chopper in her left hand. All in all, the ḍākinīs represented in this mandala are more akin to the demonesses of Hindu and early Buddhist texts and iconography than the female personifications of enlightenment found in Tibetan Buddhism.


title: Dakini

text: The ḍākinīs were, as per their placement in the Womb Realm Mandala, originally revered as part of Yama's (Enmaten's) retinue, mainly figuring in rituals centered around the deity. A ḍākinī (not yet the medieval Dakiniten), depicted as a long-haired woman holding a bag, also appears in the Enmaten mandalas of the late Heian period as one of the god's attendants. It was after the Insei period of the late 11th to mid-12th century, during which Japan was effectively under the rule of retired ("cloistered") emperors, that a cult centered around the deified ḍākinī as a single goddess named 'Dakiniten' emerged independent of the Enmaten ritual. As the cult of Dakiniten flourished, its rite became famous for being particularly effective for obtaining worldly benefits and was thus especially attractive to the politically ambitious; at the same time, however, the ritual was viewed with suspicion within some circles as a dangerous, "heterodox" (外法, "gehō") practice due to its supposed subversive, black magical aspects.


title: Dakini

text: It is difficult to trace the exact origins of the Japanese Dakiniten cult. While a number of medieval texts claim the ritual's lineage started with eminent esoteric masters such as Amoghavajra or Vajrabodhi, the lineage may more plausibly be traced back to 10th century Shingon monks such as the Jingo-ji priest Kengyō (鑒教) or the Tō-ji abbot Kanshuku (観宿, fl. 926–930). Although one legend claims that Saichō, the founder of the Tendai school, brought with him Dakiniten ritual texts from China which he then buried at Mount Hiei, there is actually no historical proof that he or any of the other monks who went to China to study esoteric Buddhism – Kūkai, , , Ennin, , Enchin and – brought home any such texts with them, suggesting that the Dakiniten rite developed in Japan well after their time.


title: Dakini

text: The rapid rise of certain notable figures to prominence, as well as their decline, have been popularly attributed to Dakiniten. A certain anecdote regarding the military leader Taira no Kiyomori found in the "Genpei Jōsuiki" (one of a number of variants of the "Heike Monogatari") claims that Kiyomori once shot an arrow at a fox during a hunt. The fox then transformed into a woman who promised to grant Kiyomori whatever he wanted in exchange for her life. Kiyomori, realizing this woman is none other than the goddess Kiko Tennō (貴狐天王, lit. "Venerable Fox Deva-King," i.e. Dakiniten), spared her life. He subsequently became a devotee of the goddess, despite his awareness that the benefits obtained through the Dakiniten rite (吒天の法, "Daten no hō") would not be passed on to his progeny. The story thus attributes both Kiyomori's rise in power and the subsequent fall of his clan to his performance of the Dakiniten ritual.


title: Dakini

text: According to the Kamakura period work "Kokon Chomonjū", the late Heian period nobleman Fujiwara no Tadazane commissioned the performance of the Dakiniten rite for seven days as he was about to be sent into exile. At the end of that period, a fox came to eat his offering, a rice cake. He then later had a dream in which he was visited by a beautiful young woman. When she was getting ready to leave, he grasped her hair to hold her back, at which he woke up finding himself holding a fox's tail in his hands. The next day, instead of being exiled, he was promoted to a high rank. Attributing this turn of events to Dakiniten, Tadazane in thanksgiving worshiped the fox tail as a symbol of the deity.


title: Dakini

text: Other people claimed to have attained positions of authority due to their devotion to Dakiniten include the monk (951–1046), the founder of the Ono branch (小野流, "Ono-ryū") of Shingon, and the Shingon Risshū monk (1278–1357), a close aide of Emperor Go-Daigo whose name became linked to the infamous Tachikawa branch ("Tachikawa-ryū"). Monkan's enemies in particular painted him in a negative light by emphasizing the dubious nature of the rites he performed; one notable rival, , accused him of "making offerings to the ḍākinīs and conjuring dragons while he is reporting to the throne." The Tendai monk Kōshū (1276–1350), in his work "Keiran Shūyōshū" (渓嵐拾葉集, "Collected Leaves from Hazy Valleys"), wavers in his judgment of the Dakiniten rite: on the one hand, he comments that "he who worships animals is worthy of being a master. He who worships a fox is worthy of becoming a king." On the other hand, he warns his readers about the dangers of the Dakiniten cult.


title: Dakini

text: Dakiniten's cult flourished mainly via the network of Inari worship and vice versa; the former, because of her association with the fox ("kitsune"), became closely linked with the latter, as foxes were seen as the messengers of the Inari deity. Dakiniten came to be identified with the native agricultural "kami" Ukanomitama, Toyouke, and Ukemochi (all of whom were themselves conflated both with the god of Inari and with each other), with her iconography probably being informed by these goddesses. A late Kamakura period text called the "Inari-ki" (稲荷記, "Record of Inari") links the five peaks of Mount Inari with various divinities and Buddhist figures: the eastern peak corresponds with Dakiniten, who is associated with the Wisdom King Yamāntaka (Daiitoku) and the "kami" Amaterasu, the central peak to Shinkoō (辰狐王, lit. "Dragon-Fox / Astral Fox King"; a name also applied to Dakiniten's vulpine mount who was eventually conflated with the goddess herself) and the buddha Amitabha, the western peak to Benzaiten and Rāgarāja (Aizen), the southern peak to Trailokyavijaya (Gōzanze), Niu Myōjin and Hārītī (Kariteimo), and the northern peak to Acala (Fudō). When reckoned as a separate figure, the Inari deity (Inari Myōjin) may even be depicted among Dakiniten's retinue as an old man bearing on his shoulder a pole with sheaves of rice on each end.


title: Dakini

text: The assimilation of Dakiniten and Inari (or rather, Ukanomitama) can also be observed in the origin story of the Dakiniten Hall at Shinnyo-dō in Kyoto. The story relates that a monk who was a worshiper of Dakiniten had just finished reciting the 600-fascicle "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra" when a white fox holding a jewel ("cintāmaṇi") in its mouth appeared on the altar. The fox then transformed into a youth, who declared that he was the deity Ukanomitama and that his jewel grants all wishes.


title: Dakini

text: In popular religion, Dakiniten was also identified with a fox goddess worshiped at Mount Inari known variously as Akomachi (阿小町), Tōme (専女), or Myōbu (命婦). This deity (commonly regarded as an attendant of the god of Inari) was revered as a patron of love and matchmaking; a short liturgical text to Akomachi preserved at Kōzan-ji is titled "Dakini no saimon" (荼枳尼祭文). In its section on the Inari deity, the Nanboku-chō period anthology "Shintōshū" recounts a tradition found in "a certain person's diary" which identifies the deity of the Upper Shrine (上社, "kami no yashiro") of Inari as the "Dragon / Astral Fox" (辰狐, "Shinko") Myōbu, who is said to be a manifestation of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. The work then further identifies this Shinko(ō) Bosatsu (辰狐(王)菩薩, "Dragon / Astral Fox (King) Bodhisattva," i.e. Dakiniten) as the incarnation of Vairocana, Mañjuśrī, Vaiśravaṇa and Cintāmaṇicakra (Nyoirin Kannon).


title: Dakini

text: The cult of Dakiniten and that of Inari became inextricably fused that the name 'Inari' was even applied to places of Dakiniten worship, such as Toyokawa Inari (Myōgon-ji), a Sōtō Zen temple in Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, where the goddess known as Toyokawa Dakini Shinten (豊川吒枳尼真天) is venerated as the guardian deity ("chinju") of the temple. Legend claims that the Dakiniten of Toyokawa originally appeared to Kangan Giin (1217–1300), a disciple of Dōgen (the founder of the Japanese Sōtō school), during his return from China in 1267. In the vision, he was given a mantra by Dakiniten, who vowed to become his protector. An image based on this apparition attributed to Giin, showing the goddess on a white fox and carrying rice sheaves on a pole on her right shoulder while holding a "cintāmaṇi" in her left hand, was eventually transmitted to Giin's sixth generation disciple, Tōkai Gieki (1412–1497), who enshrined it at the temple he founded.


title: Dakini

text: Another notable 'Inari' sanctuary is the Nichiren-shū temple Myōkyō-ji – popularly known as Saijō Inari () – in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, notable for its goddess Saijōikyōō Daibosatsu (最上位経王大菩薩, lit. "Great Bodhisattva of the Supreme King of Sūtras" – a reference to the "Lotus Sūtra"), who is portrayed as riding a white fox while bearing a pole laden with rice sheaves on her left shoulder and wielding a scythe on her right hand. This image reflects the two currents constituting the Inari tradition: the agricultural deity of Mount Inari and the esoteric Buddhist deity Dakiniten.


title: Dakini

text: From the Middle Ages up until the Meiji period, the enthronement ceremony of the Japanese emperor featured Buddhist elements. One such ritual performed during the emperor's accession was the "sokui kanjō" (即位灌頂, "Abhiṣeka of Enthronement"), in which various mudras and mantras were ritually transmitted to and performed by the new emperor. The central deity ("honzon") in this rite was Dakiniten, who is considered to be both the incarnation of the buddha Vairocana (Dainichi Nyorai) and the 'origin' ("honji") of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythical ancestor of the imperial line; indeed, the emperor, upon ascending the throne, was said to have formed the 'wisdom fist' mudra associated with Vairocana in the Diamond Realm while reciting Dakiniten's mantra. A text from 1324, the "Bikisho" (鼻帰書, "Record of Returning to Origins"), also reports that when the ritual was performed in the imperial palace, two fox figurines – one gold and one silver – were placed to the left and right of the altar, and the new ruler was consecrated through an aspersion with water from "the four oceans." A medieval text stresses the rite's importance thus: "If he does not receive this ritual, the ruler's power is light and it cannot hold the four oceans. This is why this ritual is not limited to the king; monks of the various temples and profanes, too, when they perform it, can obtain a high rank and be perfectly free."


title: Dakini

text: The origins of "sokui kanjō" are shrouded in mystery; one tradition claims that a disciple of Ningai, Seison (成尊, 1012–1074), first conducted it during the accession of Emperor Go-Sanjō in 1068. Performance of the rite, however, eventually became the prerogative of Fujiwara regents, who transmitted the mantras to the new emperor during the ceremony. Indeed, a medieval legend justifies this custom by claiming that it started with the founding ancestor of the Fujiwara clan, Nakatomi (Fujiwara) no Kamatari, who was abducted in his youth by a she-fox (an avatar of Amaterasu). The fox taught Kamatari the enthronement rites and gave him a sickle ("kama") with which he defeated his enemy Soga no Iruka. One text even identifies Kamatari and Daten (Dakiniten) as manifestations of Amaterasu.


title: Dakini

text: The connection between the fox, Dakiniten, and Amaterasu can also be seen in the "Keiran Shūyōshū", which features the following retelling of the myth of Amaterasu's hiding:


title: Dakini

text: Commenting on the "sokui kanjō", Bernard Faure writes: "under the name "Fox King," Dakiniten became a manifestation of the sun goddess Amaterasu, with whom the new emperor united during the enthronement ritual. [...] The Buddhist ritual allowed the ruler to symbolically cross over the limits separating the human and animal realms to harness the wild and properly superhuman energy of the "infrahuman" world, so as to gain full control of the human sphere."


title: Dakini

text: Another type of secret enthronement ritual centered on Dakiniten took place on the Outer Shrine of Ise ("Gekū") and was performed every morning and evening by the shrine's young female attendants or "kora" (子良 or 狐良 – 狐 being the character for 'fox') when they presented their daily offerings to the deity. There are two traditions related to its origins, one claiming that it goes back to Amaterasu herself through her priestess Yamatohime, the other that it originated with Kūkai. In this way, the "kora", and through them Amaterasu, came to be identified with Dakiniten. According to the "Bikisho": "Based on this [ancient practice of worshiping animals with special powers] at these [Ise] shrines, the shrine maidens ("kora") perform the Ritual of the Astral Fox after presenting divine food. Its meaning is to show that the promise made in ancient times has not been forgotten. Therefore, the emperors, who are the descendants of the great deity [of Ise], are initiated in this method as part of their enthronement."


title: Dakini

text: Although Dakini-ten was said to be a powerful Buddhist deity, the images and stories surrounding it in Japan in both medieval and modern times are drawn from local "kitsune" mythology. The modern folk belief, often printed in Japanese books about religion, is that the fox image was a substitute for the Indian jackal, but the black jackal and other black animals are associated with Kali.


title: Dakini

text: In the early modern period, the ḍākinī rite devolved into various spells called Dakini-ten, Atago Gongen. Those who felt wronged in their village could go to a corrupt yamabushi who practiced black magic, and get him to trap a "kitsune" and cause it to possess a third party. Reports of possession became especially common in the Edo and Meiji periods. For details, see "kitsunetsuki".


title: Dakini

text: The following mantra meanwhile is associated with Toyokawa Inari and is said to have been revealed by Dakiniten to Kangan Giin:


title: Dakini

text: This mantra is traditionally interpreted as meaning: "When this spell is chanted, the faith in me reaches everywhere, and by the true power of the Buddhist precepts, evil and misfortune will be abolished and luck and wisdom attained; suffering removed and comfort achieved, and pain transformed into delight."


title: Dakini

text: Although ḍākinī figures appear in Hinduism and Bon, ḍākinīs occur most notably in Vajrayana Buddhism and especially Tibetan Buddhism. The khandroma, generally of volatile or wrathful temperament, acts somewhat as spiritual muse for spiritual practice. Dakinis are energetic beings in female form, evocative of the movement of energy in space. In this context, the sky or space indicates śūnyatā, the insubstantiality of all phenomena, which is, at the same time, the pure potentiality for all possible manifestations.


title: Dakini

text: The ḍākinī appears in a Vajrayana formulation of the Buddhist refuge formula known as the Three Roots. Sometimes she appears as the dharmapala, alongside a guru and yidam.


title: Dakini

text: Judith Simmer-Brown, based on teachings she received from Tibetan lamas, identifies four main classes of ḍākinī. These follow the twilight language tradition of esoteric Buddhism in referring to secret, inner, outer and outer-outer classes of ḍākinīs.


title: Dakini

text: In some instances, the terms "ḍāka" and "ḍākinī" have been used for practitioners of tantric yoga themselves. In other instances, just "ḍākinī" was used for female practitioners, while male practitioners were just known as "yogi". Padmasambhava was known as a yogi and Yeshe Tsogyal, a Tibetan princess, yogini and consort of Padmasambhava, as a ḍākinī.


title: Dakini

text: The scholar Miranda Shaw stated that "In Sanskrit there is only one word, Dakini. There are only female Dakinis... there is no male Dakini. It is an impossibility and a contradiction in terms." On the other hand, Pratapaditya Pal stated, "both "dakas" and "dakinis" occur frequently in Tibetan literature, though the latter predominate."


title: Dakini

text: Whereas Jan Willis in the chapter "Ḑākinī; Some Comments on Its Nature and Meaning" points out that "'she' is "not" 'female'. Though the "ḍākinī" assuredly most often appears in female form... this is but one of the "myriad" of ways Absolute Insight chooses to make manifest its facticity."


title: Dakini

text: Tibetan Lamas trained in the Gelug school, such as Sermey Khensur Lobsang Tharchin, and those of the Karma Kagyu school such as Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, write freely of "dakas and dakinis". Thubten Yeshe clarifies their meaning: "what are dakas and dakinis? Simply speaking they are males and females who possess advanced experiences of tantric transformation and control and are therefore able to increase the blissful wisdom of a highly qualified practitioner."


title: Dakini

text: Being associated with energy in all its functions, ḍākinīs are linked with the revelation of the Anuttarayoga Tantras, which represent the path of transformation, whereby the energy of negative emotions or "kleshas", called poisons, is transformed into the luminous energy of enlightened awareness yielding the most profound experience of clear light. Thubten Yeshe explains:


title: Dakini

text: When considered as a stage on the Vajrayana Path, the ḍākinī is the final stages: the first is the guru, which corresponds to the initial realization of the true condition of reality, as this is introduced by the guru in the empowerment, if the disciple obtains what the Inner Tantras call peyi yeshe () or the clarity of shunyata. The second is the devata, which corresponds to the meditation insofar as the devata is the method used for developing the state discovered in the initial realization of the true condition of reality. The third stage is the ḍākinī insofar as the ḍākinī is the source of the activities based on the realization of the guru and the meditation of the devata.


title: Dakini

text: In Dzogchen these three correspond to tawa ("lta ba"), gompa ("sgom pa") and chöpa ("spyod pa"): the first is the direct vision of the true nature of reality rather than an intellectual view of reality, as is the case with the term in other vehicles; the second is the continuity of this vision in sessions of meditation; and the third is the continuity of this vision in everyday activities. As a tantric practice, imperfections are used to make the vision uninterrupted. As the Base, the ḍākinīs are the energies of life; as the Path, they are the activities of advanced practitioners; as the Fruit, they are the actionless activities of realized Masters.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Biohazard is an American hardcore band formed in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1987. They are one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel, and drummer Anthony Meo. Guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei joined soon after, and drummer Danny Schuler replaced Meo before the recording of their first album, thus solidifying the band's lineup from 1988 to 1995.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Biohazard formed in Brooklyn in 1987. Their first demo, released in 1988, caused a stir with journalists who felt that some of the band's lyrics displayed fascist and white supremacist views, overlooking the fact that both Seinfeld and Schuler were, themselves, Jewish. The accusations of racism in their music were denied by the group but in later interviews, Seinfeld and Graziadei explained that it had been a publicity stunt to win over the band Carnivore and their fans. Additionally, Seinfeld has defended the lyrics of songs such as "Master Race" and "America" as metaphors meant to gain the attention of listeners, and he maintains that the band was never racist. After the release of the first demo, Anthony Meo left the band and drummer Danny Schuler replaced him. A second demo tape followed in 1989.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Although Biohazard did not present themselves as a hardcore band, they shared stages with groups associated with the New York hardcore scene, such as the Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front. They also shared stages with the New Jersey band Mucky Pup, and a friendship between the two groups developed.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Biohazard's self-titled debut album was released in June 1990 through Magnetic Air Records, and in spite of being poorly promoted, it went on to sell 23,000 copies in the US by 1994 and approximately 40,000 copies by 2001. The album's subject matter revolved around Brooklyn, gang wars, drugs, and violence.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: One year after the release, Seinfeld and Graziadei contributed vocals to the song "Three Dead Gophers" from Mucky Pup's third album, "Now". The record was released on Roadrunner Records, who would soon issue Biohazard's second album.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In 1992, Biohazard signed with Roadrunner Records and released "Urban Discipline," which gave the band national and worldwide attention in both the heavy metal and hardcore communities. The video for the song "Punishment" became the most played video in the history of MTV's "Headbangers Ball", and the album sold over one million copies. The band also began opening for larger acts, such as House of Pain, Sick of It All, Fishbone, and Kyuss.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In 1993, the hardcore rap group Onyx recorded an alternate "Bionyx" version of their hit single "Slam", with Biohazard as their backup band. This led to a collaboration on the title track of the "Judgment Night" soundtrack. The soundtrack would go on to sell over two million copies in the United States.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Months later, the band left Roadrunner Records and signed with Warner Bros. Records, who released their third studio LP, "State of the World Address". The album was produced by Ed Stasium in Los Angeles and contained the single "How It Is", featuring Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, for which a video was also shot. During their 1994 tour, the band made an appearance on the second stage at the Monsters of Rock festival, held at Castle Donington. "State of the World Address" went on to sell over one million copies, and "Rolling Stone" magazine selected the Biohazard logo as the best logo of the year. This was the last Biohazard album with Bobby Hambel, who left due to differences with the rest of the band. In late 1995, the band, along with Therapy? and Gunshot, contributed remixes to the Pitchshifter album "The Remix War".


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Biohazard recorded their fourth studio album, "Mata Leao", as a three-piece in 1996. It was produced with the help of Dave Jerden. For the 1996–97 Mata Leao Tour, the band hired former Helmet guitarist Rob Echeverria. They also played on the Ozzfest mainstage, alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Danzig, Fear Factory, and Sepultura.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: While touring Europe in support of "Mata Leao", the band recorded their Hamburg, Germany show for their first live album, "No Holds Barred (Live in Europe)", which was released in 1997 through Roadrunner Records.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In 1998, Seinfeld began his acting career, playing Jaz Hoyt on HBO's award-winning series "Oz". The character was introduced in the second season and appeared throughout the sixth and final season.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Biohazard signed to Mercury Records and released their fifth studio album, "New World Disorder," in 1999, once again with Ed Stasium as producer. The relationship with Mercury Records soured quickly as the band felt betrayed and misunderstood by the label. They severed their ties amidst the merger of Mercury Records, Island Records, Def Jam Records, and Polygram into the Universal Music Group.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In 2000, the band continued to tour Europe and Japan, without the support of a record label or management. In 2001, they released a compilation album titled "Tales From the B-Side". The record consisted of various B-sides and remixes from various eras in the band's recording history. The album was released by the Phantom Sound & Vision label. After the publication of "Tales From the B-Side", Rob Echeverria resigned from the band in order to get married. Leo Curley, of Outline and All Means Necessary, was hired as his replacement.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In the same year, Biohazard signed two new record deals, with SPV/Steamhammer in Europe and Sanctuary Records for the remainder of the world. Despite the new record deals, the band took some personal time in order to work on other projects.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Graziadei briefly formed a trip hop project, named Blu, with Jenifer Bair of the Ohio band Hilo. After writing and recording approximately twenty songs for the project, Bair relocated to Los Angeles to continue an art career, and the project dissolved. Graziadei also began work on a book, "Tales From the Hardside". Schuler used his downtime to perform with New York band Among Thieves as a replacement drummer for the departing Will Shepler.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Graziadei and Schuler also collaborated in transforming Biohazard's Brooklyn rehearsal space into a digital recording studio, known as Rat Piss Studios, and soon after changed the name to Underground Sound Studios. Reinvesting into the band, Graziadei and Schuler honed their engineering and productions skills while recording and producing local acts and new Biohazard demos. The band then undertook the process of writing, recording, and producing their own music.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Their studio work led to Biohazard's sixth studio album, "Uncivilization", released in September 2001. The album featured several guest appearances by members of bands such as Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, Pantera, Slipknot, Sepultura, Cypress Hill, Skarhead, and Type O Negative. Shortly after the release, Leo Curley left the band to focus on writing his own music. He was replaced by former Nucleus member Carmine Vincent, who had previously toured with Biohazard as part of their road crew.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Biohazard had to cancel scheduled European festival dates when Carmine Vincent underwent major surgery. The band did manage to find a temporary guitarist, Scott Roberts, formerly of the Cro-Mags and the Spudmonsters, in time to join the Eastpak Resistance Tour with Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, Discipline, Death Threat, Born from Pain, and All Boro Kings.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Biohazard completed their seventh studio album, "Kill or Be Killed" in 2003. While touring North America with Kittie, Brand New Sin, and Eighteen Visions, the band announced that Roberts would remain as their permanent lead guitarist. The tour was curtailed when it was announced that Seinfeld had fallen ill.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: With more downtime due to Seinfeld's illness, Graziadei and Schuler collaborated to mix Life of Agony's live comeback album, "River Runs Again: Live 2003". Once Seinfeld was healthy again, the band toured Japan and North America, headlining for bands such as Hatebreed, Agnostic Front, Throwdown, and Full Blown Chaos.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Once home, Seinfeld began recording and circulating demos for his own trip hop project, named Triplesicks. For a brief time, Graziadei and his wife moved to Brazil, where their daughter was born. While there, Graziadei struck up a friendship with drummer Fernandao Schafer. After jamming together in the studio, Schafer formed the band Ink, which Graziadei would eventually produce and later join. It wasn't long before Ink was renamed Endrah and an EP, titled "DEMONstration", was released. Once Graziadei returned to New York City, the logistical problems of traveling back and forth led him to quit Endrah.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In early 2004, Graziadei teamed up with gabber DJ Rob Gee to help write and produce his music. When a few albums were completed, Graziadei joined Schuler, Roberts, DJ Starscream (aka Sid Wilson of Slipknot), Jeff Anthony, and Keith Rooney, to form Ampt. The band combined gabber music with hardcore and heavy metal. After writing several songs and putting together a live band, Graziadei and Schuler left the project in order to continue with Biohazard.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: By the end of 2004, the band had begun recording its eighth studio album, "Means to an End". The completed album was lost in a studio disaster, forcing the band to completely re-record it. It was released in August 2005.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In the meantime, Graziadei had formed another new band with former members of Kitte and The Groovenics. Originally named Rodek, the group eventually changed its name to Suicide City. In October 2004, Graziadei announced that "Means to an End" had been the final Biohazard album and that he would continue playing with Suicide City as his main focus. One month later, on the Biohazard website, it was announced that there would in fact be a 2005 Biohazard tour.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: On December 15, Seinfeld and Graziadei participated in the Roadrunner United conglomerate event at the Nokia Theater in New York City, for an all-star event. The show opened with Biohazard's "Punishment", performed by Seinfeld, Graziadei, Sepultura's Andreas Kisser, former Fear Factory member Dino Cazares, and Slipknot's Joey Jordison.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In 2005, Seinfeld and Patrick formed The Tera Patrick Agency, with the goal of representing talent in both the adult and mainstream entertainment business. The same year, Suicide City released their first EP, "Not My Year", and continued to tour as an opening act for such bands as Danzig, Taking Back Sunday, Mindless Self Indulgence, Otep, and Gwar. The band's full-length album, "Frenzy", followed in 2009.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In January 2006, Danny Schuler announced his resignation from Biohazard and the formation of Bloodclot with singer Jon Joseph of the Cro-Mags, guitarist Scott Roberts, and bassist Craig Setari of Sick of It All. Roberts later announced that he would also be leaving Biohazard to focus on Bloodclot with Schuler. The same month, Graziadei announced that Biohazard would not go on a farewell tour after all.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: Graziadei and Schuler relocated their recording studio to South Amboy, New Jersey, and renamed it Underground Sound Studios. The space was renovated to include a live room with ceilings and of studio space. After Schuler's departure from the studio business, Graziadei relocated the studio to Los Angeles and changed the name to Firewater Studios.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In February 2006, Seinfeld participated in the filming of "SuperGroup", a VH-1 reality television series also starring Ted Nugent, Scott Ian, Sebastian Bach, and Jason Bonham as a supergroup named Damnocracy. The show debuted on May 21, 2006.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In March 2007, Seinfeld debuted his new band, The Spyderz, as an opening act for a Buckcherry performance. The group was originally named White Line Fever, until it was discovered that a UK band already owned the name. The Spyderz also featured guitarist John Monte, formerly of Ministry and M.O.D. In October 2008, Seinfeld also briefly joined Tattooed Millionaires as a bassist and co-vocalist. Seinfeld and Tera Patrick separated in 2009 and divorced in 2010.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In January 2008, Biohazard's classic lineup of Evan Seinfeld, Billy Graziadei, Danny Schuler, and Bobby Hambel made the announcement that rehearsals had begun for a 2008 summer tour, to commemorate the band's twentieth anniversary. They toured Australia and New Zealand in April with Chimaira, Throwdown, Bloodsimple, and headliners Korn, to celebrate their newly declared reunion. The band also took part in Persistence Tour 2009 and announced at one of their shows that they were working on a new record. It was also noted that the album would be dedicated to Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele, who died in April 2010. Biohazard brought in producer Toby Wright to work on the album and after several months at Graziadei's Firewater Studios in Los Angeles, the band completed their recording sessions.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In June 2011, Biohazard announced that they had amicably parted ways with Evan Seinfeld. Scott Roberts returned to replace Seinfeld for two UK dates, but no decision regarding a permanent replacement was made. In August 2011, the band announced that they were searching for a full-time singer to replace Seinfeld and opened auditions to the public. In September 2011, three months after his departure from Biohazard, Seinfeld joined Los Angeles-based heavy metal band Attika 7, which also featured Tony Campos, formerly of Soulfly and Static-X, and Rusty Coones. Attika 7 began recording their debut album for THC Music/Rocket Science in February 2012. After several lineup changes, including the departure of Campos, the band's debut album, "Blood of my Enemies", was released in 2013. Seinfeld also continues to work in adult entertainment as Spyder Jonez, most notably through his production company, Iron Cross Entertainment and Teravison, which he co-owns with his former wife, Tera Patrick, as well as his own Rockstar Pornstar website.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In January 2012, Biohazard decided that Scott Roberts would remain with the band as a permanent member. Their new album, "Reborn in Defiance", was released worldwide, with the exception of North America, on January 20, 2012, through the Nuclear Blast label. The band originally planned to offer a digital edition of the album as a free download for American fans on the same date, but those plans were canceled at the last moment. The album never received a United States label partner or release.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In support of the record, Biohazard embarked on a short co-headlining tour of Europe with Suicidal Tendencies in the latter half of January 2012. The band arrived in Belgium to begin the tour on January 20, where abruptly, Scott Roberts was rushed to the hospital. After going through several tests and receiving no answers concerning his ailment, Roberts checked himself out of the hospital in time to perform with the band. After their set, Roberts was rushed back to the hospital. Roberts was released from the hospital in time to continue on with the tour at the next stop in Oberhausen, Germany, on January 21. On January 22, Schuler left the tour in order to return home and be with his wife for the birth of their baby. Danny Lamagna of Sworn Enemy and Suicide City stepped in to replace Schuler until he was able to return.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In July 2015, Schuler indicated that the band was actively working on a new album. On February 10, 2016, Biohazard announced that previously scheduled upcoming shows had been canceled and that Scott Roberts was no longer a member of the band. In December 2017, Roberts clarified that he had quit the band due to not getting along with one of the other members and not enjoying being in the group anymore.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: On June 23, 2017, the debut album from Graziadei's new band Powerflo was released. Graziadei formed the band with Sen Dog (Senen Reyes) of Cypress Hill, Rogelio Lozano of Downset., and Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory. A follow-up EP, titled "Bring That Shit Back", came out in June 2018. Coinciding with the EP's release, it was also announced that Graziadei would be releasing a solo album later in the year, under the name BillyBio. It was also stated that BillyBio would serve as the opening act on the European dates of Life of Agony's Rise of the Underground tour in October. The first BillyBio album, "Feed the Fire", was released on November 30, 2018.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In January 2019, Graziadei explained that, despite not performing or recording since 2015, Biohazard still existed as a band and that when the time was right, there would be a new record.


title: Biohazard (band)

text: In October 2022, it was reported that the lineup of Seinfeld, Graziadei, Hambel, and Schuler had reunited. The band also announced two concerts for 2023, one at Bloodstock Open Air and another at Dynamo Metalfest.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: NOS4A2 (pronounced "Nosferatu") is an American supernatural horror drama television series, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Joe Hill, that ran on AMC from June 2, 2019 to August 23, 2020. The series was created by Jami O'Brien and stars Ashleigh Cummings, Zachary Quinto, Jahkara Smith, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Virginia Kull, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The series deals with a working-class artist who uses supernatural abilities to track an immortal being who preys on children. In August 2020, the series was canceled after two seasons after completing the storyline presented in the original novel.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: "NOS4A2" follows Victoria "Vic" McQueen, a young working-class artist who discovers that she has a supernatural ability to track the seemingly immortal Charlie Manx. Manx feeds off the souls of children, then deposits what remains of them into Christmasland—a twisted Christmas Village of Manx's imagination where every day is Christmas Day and unhappiness is against the law. Vic must strive to defeat Manx and rescue his victims—without losing her mind or falling victim to him herself.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: On December 8, 2015, it was announced that AMC had put a television series adaptation of Joe Hill's novel "NOS4A2" into development. It was reported that a search was underway for a writer to pen the adaptation. Production companies involved in the series were set to include The Tornante Company and AMC Studios. On May 31, 2017, it was announced that AMC had opened a writers room for the series. Jami O'Brien led the writers room and executive produced alongside Hill.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: On April 10, 2018, it was announced that AMC had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. Additionally, it was reported that O'Brien would serve as showrunner and that Lauren Corrao would be an executive producer.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: Though the series is set in Haverhill, Massachusetts, it was filmed in various locations in Rhode Island, including the Cranston Street Armory.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: On July 20, 2019, while at San Diego Comic-Con it was announced that AMC had renewed the series for a second season. The second season finished filming in January 2020 and premiered on June 21, 2020. Ratings saw a massive drop during season two, running at about half what they were during season one. On August 31, 2020, AMC canceled the series after two seasons and adapting the entire storyline of the original novel.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: On June 27, 2018, it was announced that Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Virginia Kull, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach had been cast in main roles. On July 5, 2018, it was reported that Jahkara Smith had joined the cast in a recurring capacity. On August 28, 2018, it was announced that Karen Pittman had been cast in a recurring role. On September 13, 2018, it was reported that Zachary Quinto and Ashleigh Cummings had been cast in the series' two lead roles of Charlie Manx and Vic McQueen, respectively. On October 12, 2018, it was announced that Rarmian Newton and Darby Camp had joined the cast in a recurring capacity. On December 17, 2018, it was reported that Ashley Romans would appear in a recurring role.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: On December 20, 2018, a promotional image from the series was released featuring Zachary Quinto in character as Charlie Manx.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: The series held its world premiere during the 2019 South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, in March 2019, as a part of the festival's "Episodic Premieres" series of screenings. The first episode premiered on AMC on June 2, 2019. While AMC broadcast the episodes over a nine-week period, it made the entire series available for online streaming immediately on its AMC Premiere platform.


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: For the first season, review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 69% approval rating with an average score of 6.6/10, based on 29 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though "Nos4a2" strains to build the necessary atmosphere to pull off its ambitious premise, it does capture the spirit of Joe Hill's singular work and provides a new psychopath for Zachary Quinto to sink his teeth into." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 47 out of 100 based on nine critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


title: NOS4A2 (TV series)

text: For the second season, review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating with an average score of 5.37/10, based on 8 reviews.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Ali Mills is a fictional character portrayed by Elisabeth Shue in the film "The Karate Kid" (1984), and in the third season of its sequel series "Cobra Kai" (2021).


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Ali Mills grew up in a wealthy family in Encino, Los Angeles. During high school in the early 1980s, she was a cheerleader who enjoyed playing games at a local Arcade. She also dated rich-kid Johnny until they broke up in 1984. A few weeks after the breakup, she began to date Daniel who had just moved to Reseda, until they broke up after the Senior Prom in 1985. She was later a student at UCLA and then in medical school. She became a pediatric surgeon, and settled in Denver, Colorado with her husband and her two children.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: In December 2018, she returned home and had a short reunion with Johnny, and later Daniel, revealing that she is currently in the process of divorcing her husband, Dr. Gregory Schwarber (an oncologist whom she met in medical school). She reveals to Johnny that her parents are not happy about the upcoming divorce.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: In Season 1, Episode 1 of "Cobra Kai", Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso meet accidentally after Johnny's car is towed to Daniel's auto business, 34 years after the events of "The Karate Kid". Prosperous and successful Daniel appears happy to see him, while Johnny (who was just fired from his construction job and is living in a small apartment in Reseda, California) is very uncomfortable. Daniel introduces Johnny to his employees as a "guy who really had it in for me" when they were in high school. Johnny replies that he behaved that way because Daniel "move[d] in on my girl", referring to the fact that he and Ali had dated before she met Daniel. In response, Daniel states that "she actually wasn't really your girl anymore was she", as Ali and Johnny had broken up a few weeks before Daniel met her at the beach.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Johnny (in "Cobra Kai") describes both his relationship with Ali and their 1984 breakup (events alluded to but not shown in "The Karate Kid"). In Season 1, Episode 8 of "Cobra Kai", Johnny tells his student Miguel that he first met Ali in the Summer of 1982, when he and his Cobra Kai friends went to see the movie "Rocky III". They noticed a group of girls in front of them and one of his friends, Dutch, began to throw Milk Duds at them. When Miguel is surprised, Johnny explains that it was an "alpha move", because girls like guys who "treat them like crap". The girls became angry and one of them - Ali - got up and began yelling at Dutch, pouring her popcorn (with butter) all over him. Johnny said that was the first time he met Ali, and thought that she was a "firecracker". After turning him down many times, Ali finally said yes to a date. He took her to "Golf N' Stuff", where they kissed on the Ferris wheel. Johnny said that they were "madly in love" and dated for two years. She gave Johnny the black headband he wears during Karate. However, the summer before senior year, they had a big fight. While he thought they would "work things out", Ali met Daniel instead, believing that she had cheated on him (when they were simply just friends).


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: In Season 2, Episode 5 of "Cobra Kai", Johnny makes a confession about his breakup with Ali to Tommy (who he helped to sneak out of the hospital for a 24-hour road trip). Johnny states that on the night that Dutch got so drunk that he smashed a dart board, he also got so drunk that he missed Ali's birthday - ultimately leading up to the "big fight" that ended their relationship. Later that evening, Tommy also makes a confession. He said that he was also in love with Ali (whom he met in Homeroom during Freshman year) but never had the courage to ask her out. After Johnny began dating her, Tommy said was inspired to become a Cobra Kai so that he could gain Johnny's courage, although he got over Ali as he did not wish to have her come between him and a fellow Cobra. Johnny responded by saying that he never got over Ali, though he dated many women after her. Ali was the only one with whom Johnny was able to "let his guard down".


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: In Season 3, Episode 9 of "Cobra Kai", Johnny and Ali reunite after he finds her on Facebook. After realizing that they haven't seen each other since he lost the tournament ("The Karate Kid"), they catch up on the past three decades. Johnny apologizes to her for the mistakes he made while they were dating. Ali tells him that she can't even remember why they were angry with each other.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Ali first notices Daniel at a beach party the summer before senior year of high school ("The Karate Kid"). Daniel's friends tell him that she is "off-limits" by his friends because she is part of the rich clique. They inevitably meet when he teaches her a few soccer moves. Johnny is infuriated when he sees her with Daniel (although Ali ended the relationship a few weeks prior, he did not believe it was over) and races his motorcycle into their conversation. Despite repeatedly telling him to leave her alone, Johnny continues to insist she talk with him. Daniel tries to stick up for Ali and is badly beaten by Johnny, who is experienced in karate. Ali attempts to help him, but he pushes her away.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Daniel and Ali meet the next day at their high school on the soccer field as she prepares to attend cheerleading practice. It is during this conversation that she introduces herself as "Ali — with an ‘i’", to which he responds that he is "Daniel — with an ‘l’". While practicing with her teammates, she even looks on in concern as he gets kicked out of soccer practice for getting into yet another fight with Johnny's friends for tripping him. As they continue to get to know each other, Daniel discovers that Johnny is Ali's ex-boyfriend (as of 3 weeks). As her interest in Daniel deepens, Ali encourages him to stand up to Johnny, whom she feels is a bully and realizes is frequently beating Daniel up. She tells Daniel that "It's just that he [Johnny] thinks he can do whatever he wants to people". She also tells Daniel that she would "love to see him [Johnny] get a dose of his own medicine". Unfazed by Johnny's outbursts, she frequently tells him off or yells at him, and is angry that he will not leave her alone.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Ali's down-to-earth nature is highlighted during her first date with Daniel, when she is picked up by Daniel's mother Lucille in an old car that stalls. Not only does Ali immediately get along with Lucille, but willingly helps Lucille and Daniel start the car up again. This interaction is a stark contrast with Ali's parents who interrogate Daniel when they meet him and are not impressed that he lives in Reseda rather than Encino. This difference in social class is further emphasized at the end of the date, when Daniel is teased by other teenagers because he is picked up by his mother in their old car (an incident that bothers him more than Ali).


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Social class is further reinforced when Ali asks Daniel to meet her after dinner with her parents at an elite country club. Johnny, also at the club, tries to get her attention and is aided by Ali's parents (who prefer Johnny to Daniel). Ali, however, is hostile after she is coerced to dance with Johnny by her mother, and hits him in the face when he forces her to kiss him (a move he made to infuriate Daniel who was watching in the kitchen). She yells at Johnny, "Don't you ever do that to me again!" and storms away. Daniel also tries to run away but gets spaghetti spilled on himself after he accidentally crashes into the kitchen staff.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: A few days later, equipped with a driver's license and a car from Mr. Miyagi, Daniel finds Ali at the Arcade, and they argue (as Daniel is angry over the kiss he witnessed and Ali is angry about the entire incident). Daniel accuses her of being a snob who is behaving badly because he isn't "rich with a fancy car". This statement infuriates Ali, as it contradicts her real nature, which she summarizes by telling him: "You know Daniel I didn't go out with you because of a car or where you live ... I thought maybe you were different". She makes him understand that the discomfort with the class differences between them comes from him and not from her. Daniel also learns that Ali rejected Johnny's kiss, after her friend tells him that Ali punched Johnny with "her right hook- you think she sprained her wrist doing her nails?" Daniel apologizes, and Ali agrees to support him at the tournament against Johnny the next day.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Ali arrives at the tournament with Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, and tells the officials that she needs to be at the ringside because she is Mr. Miyagi's translator. Since neither Daniel nor Miyagi know the actual rules of competitive karate, Ali quickly teaches Daniel what he needs to know before the competition begins. Daniel eventually proceeds to the finals and defeats Johnny. Ali rushes to hug Daniel afterward as they celebrate his victory.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: They broke up six months later, however, with each character offering different reasons for the breakup.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: In 1985, Daniel offers his version at the beginning of "The Karate Kid Part II". He returns to Mr. Miyagi's home from the Prom in the now badly beaten up car that Mr. Miyagi gave to him. As he enters the house, Mr. Miyagi says to him that it "must have been some senior prom; what happened?" In response, Daniel exclaims angrily, "You mean, what didn't happen? First I let Ali borrow the car and she redesigns my fender! And I don't know what she did with the engine but that ain't running right either. And you know what else she does? She tells me that she's just fallen in love with some football player from UCLA! Why didn't she just lie?"


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: A few decades later in December 2018, Ali offers her version of the breakup during Episode 10, "Cobra Kai (season 3)". Ali and Johnny reconnect via Facebook, and spend a day together. They later attend a holiday party, where Ali meets Daniel and his wife Amanda. Ali, Johnny, Daniel, and Amanda then have dinner together, and Ali offers her version of their mutual experiences during high school. Amanda and Johnny are both interested in knowing the facts behind Ali and Daniel's breakup. Ali clarifies that it had nothing to do with Johnny saying that instead, she "got into UCLA, and I ran into this guy that I knew who went there. Daniel sees me talking to my friend..." At this moment, Daniel interrupts Ali and sarcastically repeats the phrase, "your friend" (with air quotes). Ali then tells him, "yes he was my friend, actually." She then points to Daniel and says that, "he jumps to conclusions. Well, I was a little bit upset so I probably, maybe, egged you on." Daniel becomes defensive, and tells Ali that he thought she was "in love with the guy." Ali then said to him, "I told you! Just like I told you that the brakes on Mr. Miyagi's car were gonna go! I hope that you didn't tell him that it was my fault it crashed?" Ashamed, Daniel lied, saying, "no, of course not."


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Later, as he is leaving, Daniel apologizes to Ali for the manner of their breakup. Ali responds by saying that they were both very young, and instead will focus on remembering the good times that they shared together.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Johnny and Daniel end up in a bar and begin to talk about their shared childhood over drinks. Daniel reveals to Johnny that Ali is currently a pediatric surgeon who has since moved to Denver with her husband Gregory Schwarber, an oncologist whom she met in med school. Daniel says he has not spoken to Ali since 1985, which Johnny thinks is odd because Daniel knows so much about a woman he has not seen or spoken to in decades. Daniel says he learned of her from his Facebook account, and learns that Johnny has no idea what Facebook is. Daniel opens up Facebook, explains how it works to Johnny, and shows him Ali's account. It displays her name as Ali Mills Schwarber and shows a picture of Dr. Schwarber (whom Daniel and Johnny agree is a "pretty boy"). Daniel mentions that he did not send her a friend request, as he believes Amanda would frown on him reconnecting with ex-girlfriends, and does not see a purpose in doing so in the first place.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: One night while drinking in a bar, Johnny (who has since learned about Facebook and set up an account) types a Facebook message to Ali, which he hesitates to send. He only sends the message accidentally (and without his knowledge) after someone bumps into him, forcing him to press the "send" button.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: After losing the Cobra Kai dojo to Kreese (who had a talk with the landlord, and finds out that the landlord doesn't like Johnny), and seeing his unconscious neighbor and star student Miguel Diaz on life support due to Miguel's spinal injuries accidentally caused by his estranged son Robby Keene at the end of the school fight, Johnny drives to the beach and throws his smart phone away into the sand in a fit of rage. He is thus unaware that Ali has sent him a Facebook "friend request" in response to the Facebook message he had unknowingly sent earlier.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Miguel takes pictures of himself and Johnny at a concert and tells Johnny that he can see them on Facebook. When Johnny tells Miguel that he doesn't have Facebook anymore because he threw his phone away, Miguel explains to him that he can access Facebook through his computer. Later, while working on his laptop, Johnny opens up Facebook to look at the concert photos and finally sees Ali's "friend request", which he accepts.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: After Johnny accepts her Facebook "friend request", Ali sends him a message via Facebook Messenger. She notes that a lot of time has passed since high school, and says that she is happy with her family and career, and could "still kick your ass at air hockey". Ali also says that while they used to see each other every day in high school, she doesn't know anything about what he is like now and wonders what he is up to.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Johnny initially composes a novel-length response in "all caps" (after "liking" all of her photos), a response which sends Miguel into a panic. He asks Johnny for photos so that they can develop a better Facebook Profile. After looking through Johnny's box of 1980's "pin-up" style photos of himself, Miguel decides that they should take contemporary pictures, and Johnny decides to base them on the kind of photos that Ali posts. Ultimately, however, Johnny posts pictures of himself with his karate students.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Ali is visiting her parents for the holidays, and her mother asks her to attend the Christmas party, which Ali agrees to do. She had also responded to Johnny's Facebook message with a note that says she is in town and that they should meet for lunch. During the lunch, they realize they had not seen each other since Johnny’s defeat at the karate tournament (at the end of "The Karate Kid").


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Johnny confesses to Ali that he wasted his life, first during his 20s and 30s partying too much, and then after his girlfriend at the time became pregnant, he was unable to cope with being a father. Ali also confesses that she has "messed up" many things in her life, because she was always playing a series of roles: "Ali the Good Doctor, Ali the Good Mom, Ali the Good Wife". Next she states that she and her husband are separated and are divorcing each other. Johnny apologizes for his behavior in high school, and for the mistakes that he made in their relationship.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: They next hang out at "Golf and Stuff", take selfies, discuss about their children and nearly kiss. However, Ali receives a phone call from her mother reminding her about the Christmas party, and she invites Johnny to join her. When Johnny arrives at the party at the country club, he sees Ali talking to Daniel.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: While Daniel is ordering drinks at the Christmas party he hears a voice saying, "Daniel — with an ‘l’". Daniel turns to see Ali, whom he hasn't seen since high school. They joke that it’s funny to run into each other at the same country club that Daniel (the "kid from Reseda") was forced out of when he came to find Ali, and hug. At that moment, Johnny enters and almost has an accident with a waiter carrying bowls of spaghetti (all references to similar events in reverse in "The Karate Kid").


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Unaware that Daniel and Johnny had been in touch, Ali "reunites" them, but is soon witness to their continued rivalry. She meets Amanda, who somewhat sarcastically tells Ali about the "karate wars" between Daniel and Johnny. They bond over their mutual amusement over how absurd it seems.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Ali, Johnny, and Daniel then tell stories of high school. During this time, Ali reveals that what actually caused her breakup with Daniel was his jealousy over a college friend of hers (which Daniel mistook for a love affair). Ali also reveals that she did not crash Daniel's car, but instead that the brakes had gone out, something that Ali had tried to warn Daniel would happen. While Amanda is paying for dinner, Ali lectures Daniel and Johnny on their behavior by pointing out that they both share much more in common than they like to think. Ashamed, Daniel and Johnny both agree that they are at fault, and will try harder. Daniel again apologizes to Ali for the mistakes of the past as he says goodbye, and she tells him that she tends to only think of the good things.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Next, she says goodbye to Johnny. They talk about his relationship with Carmen (which Amanda told Ali about), and how happy she is for him. As an act of closure, she tells him that it's good to visit the past, to know where you are now, but has to move forward. Johnny agrees, saying that "we have to live for today" and Ali adds "and the future, whatever that might bring". Ali tells Johnny that she has faith in him and "will always be there for him". She pushes him towards his car saying, "So get out of here, you have a future to find". Johnny agrees and leaves to find Carmen, while Ali returns to the country club to find her parents.


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Elisabeth Shue attended Wellesley College. She transferred to Harvard University in 1984, from which she withdrew to pursue her acting career (she was inspired by a friend to work in television commercials as a way to pay for college) one semester short of earning her degree (she eventually graduated in 2000). It was during this time that she auditioned for the part of Ali in "The Karate Kid". Among the younger cast members, Shue remembers Ralph Macchio [Daniel] as someone who was considered "a big star compared to the rest of us. We were all like: Woah, he has a manager". Shue also recalls "being incredibly jealous that Ralph got to learn karate and I didn't. I made fun of him a little bit, like: I could kick your ass". In contrast, Shue was put through a different kind of physical conditioning for the beach scene: "I remember having to wear a bathing suit for that scene, which was a big deal because I felt so uncomfortable. When we first started filming, I was given a trainer (Jake Steinfeld, of "Body by Jake" fame) and asked to stay in shape".


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: 36 years after the original film, Shue returned to the franchise during the final two episodes of "Cobra Kai, Season 3" (although characters referred to her in Seasons 1 and 2). In 2019, Shue stated that "in "Karate Kid 2", my character was kind of pushed aside in a way that didn’t feel so great. So it’s funny how the idea of Ali coming back [started]...at first, I thought, ‘Well, her character really left the world of "The Karate Kid" in a way that wasn’t so great...would people care about her coming back?’” She ultimately joined "Cobra Kai" due to the encouragement from director, Dan Trachtenberg. She also decided to return because the writers planned to contest Daniel's version of the breakup in "The Karate Kid II". Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg stated that they "didn't like [Daniel's reason]. Elisabeth didn't like that reason. So we tried to think of a way to make a way that didn't make Daniel out to be a liar but also gave Ali her own side of the story". Hurwitz also added that "hearing what happened at the start of that movie was such a bummer for us ... so we knew when we brought her on the show we would find a way to explain and get her side of the story". In addition, in chapter three of his 2022 memoir on"Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me," Ralph Macchio explores both Daniel's version of the breakup and his own personal lack of awareness at the time of the impact it had on Shue. He adds in an interview given after the release of the memoir that he "never looked at it from the perspective of Ali’s character or from the perspective of Elisabeth as an actor...as an older person, there was a recognition of missteps, of things I should have done differently." He also acknowledged that at that time, "women in movies were often thought to be disposable...I see that now. Then? I didn’t see it. It was a case of youth being wasted on the young. I was swept up in everything that was happening in my life."


title: Ali Mills (character)

text: Shue enjoyed her experience in "Cobra Kai", stating that it was "like the movie never stopped... It just felt like our chemistry and our connections were exactly the same as they were". Zabka concurred noting that, "I think I lived everybody's fantasy of being Daniel LaRusso at Golf N' Stuff with Ali Mills on his arm … to kind of recreate those moments was so much fun and we just laughed the whole time. She's awesome, Elisabeth. We were good friends when we made [1984's "The Karate Kid"] and lost touch over the years. But it was just an instant chemistry". Macchio enjoyed the sense of closure that the reunion brought, such as the "moment where I come back and I want to apologize for years back and she cuts me off. When I turn to leave, it's such a genuine moment on her face and they put the "Karate Kid" little love story music under it, and it just really was an 'awww' moment for me. It sort of tied it up. I didn't know it when we shot it because I'm leaving and it was me turning away, and you just stay on her for that moment and there was a whole story in her eyes there that I thought really captured the heart of that sweet little adolescent romance from 36 years ago".


title: Roland Corporation

text: Roland has manufactured numerous instruments that have had lasting impacts on music, such as the Juno-106 synthesizer, TB-303 bass synthesizer, and TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines. It was also instrumental in the development of MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments manufactured by different companies. In 2016, "Fact" wrote that Roland had arguably had more influence on electronic music than any other company.


title: Roland Corporation

text: Having created Ace Electronic Industries Inc in 1960, Ikutaro Kakehashi founded Roland in Osaka on April 18, 1972. While rival companies Moog and ARP targeted professional musicians and academics, Kakehashi, who had no musical training, wanted to appeal to amateurs and hobbyists, and focused on miniaturization, affordability, and simplicity.


title: Roland Corporation

text: The "Roland" name was selected for export purposes, as Kakehashi was interested in a name that was easy to pronounce for his worldwide target markets. The name was found in a telephone directory, and Kakehashi was satisfied with the simple two-syllable word and its soft consonants. The letter "R" was chosen because it was not used by many other music equipment companies, so would stand out in trade-show directories and industry listings. Kakehashi did not learn of the French epic poem "The Song of Roland" until later.


title: Roland Corporation

text: With seven employees from his former company, a rented shed, and $100,000, Kakehashi built on his experience at Ace, introducing a drum machine, the TR-77 or Rhythm 77, as Roland's first product, followed by the TR-33 and TR-55 released that same year. In 1973, Roland introduced the first compact synthesizer produced in Japan and the first synthesizer produced by Roland, the SH-1000, as well as their first nonpreset synthesizer, the SH-3.


title: Roland Corporation

text: The company was also manufacturing effects pedals, introducing the RE-201 Space Echo in 1974, and expanding into guitar amplifiers the following year with the JC-60 and JC-120 Jazz Chorus, whose chorus circuit would become the first Boss Corporation product, the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, the following year. In 1976, Roland introduced the semimodular System 100 and the modular System 700 synthesizers.


title: Roland Corporation

text: In 1977, the company introduced one of the earliest microprocessor-driven music sequencers, the MC-8 MicroComposer, and the first guitar synthesizer, the GR-500. Just one year later, they introduced the CompuRhythm CR-78, the first drum machine that enabled users to program and store their own drum patterns.


title: Roland Corporation

text: During the 1980s and 1990s, Roland released several instruments that have had a lasting influence on popular music. After Kakehashi realized microprocessors could be used to program drum machines, Roland launched the TR-808 drum machine, its first programmable drum machine, in 1980. Although it was not an immediate commercial success, the 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine and became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic and hip hop genres. It has been described as hip hop's equivalent to the Fender Stratocaster guitar, which dramatically influenced the development of rock music. The 808 was followed in 1983 by the TR-909, which, alongside the TB-303 synthesizer, influenced the development of dance music such as techno, house, and acid. Roland released the Roland Jupiter-8 in 1981.


title: Roland Corporation

text: Roland played a key role in the development of MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic musical instruments manufactured by different companies. Kakehashi proposed developing a standard with representatives from Oberheim Electronics, Sequential Circuits, Yamaha, Korg, and Kawai. He and Dave Smith of Sequential Circuits unveiled MIDI in 1983. It remains the industry standard.


title: Roland Corporation

text: In, 1991 Roland released the JD-800, a digital synthesizer with many sliders. In 1993, they released the JD-990, which is the rackmount version of the JD-800. In 1994, Kakehashi founded the Roland Foundation and became chairman. In 1995, he was appointed the chairman of Roland Corporation.


title: Roland Corporation

text: In 2001, Kakehashi resigned from the position and was appointed as special executive adviser of Roland Corporation. In 2002, he published an autobiography, "I Believe in Music." His second book, "An Age Without Samples: Originality and Creativity in the Digital World", was published in 2017.


title: Roland Corporation

text: In 2018, Roland launched a subscription service called Roland Cloud. Users of the service can download and emulate a number of Roland synthesizers (modelled through a proprietary paradigm called "ACB") and drum machines in audio plugin formats. This collection also includes orchestral modules (namely the Roland SRX racks) and new additions such as original sampled instruments.


title: Roland Corporation

text: Throughout 2022, Roland celebrated their 50th anniversary by releasing two new editions of their Space Echo tape delay through their Boss brand, along with selling commemorative merchandise and clothing through their online streetswear shop "Roland Lifestyle". Later on, a collaboration with Dais Records was announced on June 8th ahead of the release of the JUNO-X synthesizer the following month. A new Jupiter-4 emulation for Roland Cloud and an NFT collection also materialised in the summer and autumn respectively.


title: Roland Corporation

text: Roland markets products under a number of brand names, each of which is used on products geared toward a different niche.


title: Domus Aurea

text: The Domus Aurea (Latin, "Golden House") was a vast landscaped complex built by the Emperor Nero largely on the Oppian Hill in the heart of ancient Rome after the great fire in 64 AD had destroyed a large part of the city.


title: Domus Aurea

text: It replaced and extended his Domus Transitoria that he had built as his first palace complex on the site.


title: Domus Aurea

text: The Domus Aurea was probably never completed. Otho and possibly Titus allotted money to finish at least the structure on the Oppian Hill; this continued to be inhabited, notably by emperor Vitellius in 69 but only after falling ill, until it was destroyed in a fire under Trajan in 104.


title: Domus Aurea

text: A symbol of decadence that caused severe embarrassment to Nero's successors, the Domus Aurea was stripped of its marble, jewels, and ivory within a decade. Although the Oppian villa continued to be inhabited for some years, soon after Nero's death other parts of the palace and grounds, encompassing 2.6 km (c. 1 mi), were filled with earth and built over: the Baths of Titus were already being built on part of the site, probably the private baths, in 79 AD. On the site of the lake, in the middle of the palace grounds, Vespasian built the Flavian Amphitheatre, which could be flooded at will, with the Colossus of Nero beside it. The Baths of Trajan, and the Temple of Venus and Roma were also built on the site. Within 40 years, the palace was obliterated. Paradoxically, this ensured the wall paintings' survival by protecting them from moisture.


title: Domus Aurea

text: When a young Roman inadvertently fell through a cleft in the Esquiline hillside at the end of the 15th century, he found himself in a strange cave or grotto filled with painted figures. Soon the young artists of Rome were having themselves let down on boards knotted to ropes to see for themselves. The that were uncovered then have faded now, but the effect of these freshly rediscovered grotesque decorations () was electrifying in the early Renaissance, which was just arriving in Rome.


title: Domus Aurea

text: When Raphael and Michelangelo crawled underground and were let down shafts to study them, the paintings were a revelation of the true world of antiquity. Beside the graffiti signatures of later tourists, like Casanova and the Marquis de Sade scratched into a fresco inches apart ("British Archaeology" June 1999), are the autographs of Domenico Ghirlandaio, Martin van Heemskerck, and Filippino Lippi.


title: Domus Aurea

text: It was even claimed that various classical artworks found at this time, such as the "Laocoön and His Sons" and "Venus Callipyge", were found within or near the Domus's remains, though this is now accepted as unlikely (high quality artworks would have been removed to the Temple of Peace before the Domus was covered over with earth).


title: Domus Aurea

text: The frescoes' effect on Renaissance artists was instant and profound (it can be seen most obviously in Raphael's decoration for the loggias in the Vatican), and the white walls, delicate swags, and bands of frieze—framed reserves containing figures or landscapes—have returned at intervals ever since, notably in late 18th century Neoclassicism, making Famulus one of the most influential painters in the history of art.


title: Domus Aurea

text: Discovery of the pavilion led to the arrival of moisture starting the slow, inevitable process of decay; humidity sometimes reaches 90% inside the Domus. Heavy rain was blamed for the collapse of a chunk of ceiling. The presence of trees in the park above is causing further damage, as tree roots are slowly sinking into the walls, damaging the ceiling and frescoes; chemical compounds released from these roots are provoking additional deterioration. Many of these trees cannot be uprooted without damaging the Domus.


title: Domus Aurea

text: The sheer weight of earth on the Domus is causing a problem, as well, and architects believe that the ceiling will eventually collapse if the weight of between 2,500 and 3,000 kg/m is not lessened. A pilot project is in the works to replace the current park above the Domus, enlarged during Mussolini's regime, with a lighter roof garden planted with the type of flowers described by Pliny, Columella, and other ancient writers.


title: Domus Aurea

text: Increasing concerns about the condition of the building and the safety of visitors resulted in its closing at the end of 2005 for further restoration work. The complex was partially reopened on February 6, 2007, but closed on March 25, 2008 because of safety concerns.


title: Arrack

text: Arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin. It is sometimes spelled arak, or simply referred to as 'rack or 'rak. It is not to be confused with the anise-flavored distilled spirit called arak or araq.


title: Arrack

text: There are two primary styles of Arrack that are very different from one another: "Batavia Arrack" is often clear in color but has a flavor profile more similar to dark rum, with a distinctive "funk" or "hogo" imparted to it from fermented red rice. "Ceylon Arrack", by contrast, is a more refined and subtle spirit. It has hints of Cognac and rum character and a wealth of delicate floral notes. Both styles are also made "in house" by local citizenry and can be more akin to moonshine in their presentation.


title: Arrack

text: Strabo reports Indians made a beverage from rice which is known as Arak. Arrack predates all "New World" spirits, as it is a parent to aguardiente (which was, in turn, the parent of rum, rhum agricole, and ron). Genoese merchants made the spirit as a byproduct of their sugar cane production in the Canary Islands. Besides making sugar, they produced arrack instead of importing it for their growing list of customers. Other early arrack was distilled from molasses and water, using dried cakes of red rice and botanicals that contain yeast and other fungi to trigger the fermentation process (this technique can be traced back thousands of years to China and even predates the birth of distillation). It is also claimed to have been distilled in India in 800 BC, but while palm wine and fermented sugar-cane drinks were being made around this time period not all believe that formal distillation was taking place.


title: Arrack

text: Outside Asia, the spirit was a common ingredient in the proliferation of Indian alcoholic punch, and was particularly popular in Holland and Sweden. It was the first distilled spirit consumed in the continental US, in the colonies of New Sweden and New Netherland, but is now mostly confused with the more common and similar spelled anise-flavored spirit arak.


title: Arrack

text: Regardless of the exact origin, arrack has come to symbolize a multitude of largely unrelated, distilled alcohols produced throughout Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. This is largely due to the proliferation of distillation knowledge throughout the Middle East during the 14th century. Each country named its own alcohol by using various Latin alphabet forms of the same word which was synonymous with distillation at the time ("arak, araka, araki, ariki, arrack, arack, raki, raque, racque, rac, rak"). 1864 English and Australian Cookery Book described Arrack as "a spirituous liquor from the East Indies. This term, or its corruption, rack, is applied to any spirituous liquor in the East. The true arrack is said to be distilled from "toddy", the fermented juice of the coconut flower. It is however, frequently distilled from rice and sugar, fermented with the cocoa-nut juice."


title: Arrack

text: Within Indonesia itself, the term "arak" is still widely used to describe arrack. Arak (or rice wine) was a popular alcoholic beverage during the colonial era. It is considered the "rum" of Indonesia because, like rum, it is distilled from sugarcane. It is a pot still distillation. To start the fermentation, local fermented red rice is combined with local yeast to give a unique flavor and smell of the distillate. It is distilled to approx. 70% ABV. Like rum, Batavia-arrack is often a blend of different original parcels.


title: Arrack

text: One of the longest established arrack companies in Indonesia is the "Batavia Arak Company" (Dutch "Batavia-Arak Maatschappij"), which was already in business by 1872, became a limited liability company in 1901, and was still operating in the early 1950s. The Batavia Arak Company also exported arack to the Netherlands and had an office in Amsterdam. Some of the arrack brand produced by Batavia Arak Company were KWT (produced in the Bandengan (Kampung Baru) area of old Jakarta) and OGL. Still commonly available in Northern Europe and Southern Asia, Batavia Arrack can be difficult to find in the United States. "Batavia-Arrack van Oosten" is a more recently available brand.


title: Arrack

text: Batavia-Arrack is said to enhance flavor when used as a component in other products, such as pastries (like the Finnish Runeberg torte or the Dresdner Stollen), or in the confectionery and flavor industries. It is used in herbal and bitter liqueurs, and as a component in alcoholic punches (such as punsch, regent punch, royal punch, and black tea-port milk punch).


title: Arrack

text: Its use in punch was noted by early American bartender Jerry Thomas: "Most of the arrack imported into this country is distilled from rice, and comes from Batavia. It is but little used in America, except to flavor punch; the taste of it is very agreeable in this mixture. Arrack improves very much with age. It is much used in some parts of India, where it is distilled from toddy, the juice of the coconut tree".


title: Arrack

text: Indonesian arak containing methanol has caused both local and tourist deaths from methanol toxicity. Arak plays a socially and culturally important role in Balinese society, where it is often diluted with water, shared with friends, or drunk in small quantities during religious ceremonies. However, with the growth of tourism, the need for cheap alcohol, and increases in alcohol import taxes and regulations, arak became the spirit of choice for many mixed drinks in bars. With the growth in arak production and popularity, more deaths from methanol poisoning were reported. Arak is usually sold on the black market, without regulation, where methanol is sometimes added to make the arak stronger


title: Arrack

text: A Filipino term for distilled and undistilled alcoholic drinks in general is "alak", derived from the Arabic word "arrak". The term "arak," though, is specifically used in Ilocano. They can be derived from palm sap (notably coconut, nipa palm, or kaong palm), sugarcane, or rice. Native alcohol that are traditionally distilled include lambanóg and laksoy, which are made from the sap of palm flowers. The sap is harvested into bamboo receptacles similar to rubber tapping, then cooked or fermented to produce a mildly-alcoholic coconut toddy called "tubâ". The "tubà", which by itself is also a popular beverage, is further distilled to produce lambanóg (or laksoy, if made from nipa palm sap).


title: Arrack

text: The Italian explorer, Antonio Pigafetta, stated that the arrack that he drank in Palawan and nearby islands in 1521 was made from distilled rice wine. However, he was likely referring to "pangasi", a rice wine which is not distilled.


title: Arrack

text: Sri Lanka is the largest producer of coconut arrack and up until 1992 the government played a significant role in its production.


title: Arrack

text: Other than water, the entire manufacturing process revolves around the fermentation and distillation of a single ingredient, the sap of unopened flowers from a coconut palm ("Cocos nucifera"). Each morning at dawn, men known as toddy tappers move among the tops of coconut trees using connecting ropes not unlike tightropes. A single tree may contribute up to two litres per day.


title: Arrack

text: Due to its concentrated sugar and yeast content, the captured liquid naturally and immediately ferments into a mildly alcoholic drink called "toddy", "tuak", or occasionally "palm wine". Within a few hours after collection, the toddy is poured into large wooden vats, called "wash backs", made from the wood of teak or Berrya cordifolia. The natural fermentation process is allowed to continue in the washbacks until the alcohol content reaches 5-7% and deemed ready for distillation.


title: Arrack

text: Distillation is generally a two-step process involving either pot stills, continuous stills, or a combination of both. The first step results in "low wine", a liquid with an alcohol content between 20 and 40%. The second step results in the final distillate with an alcohol content of 60 to 90%. It is generally diluted to between 33% and 50% alcohol by volume (ABV) or 66 to 100 proof. The entire distillation process is completed within 24 hours. Various blends of coconut arrack diverge in processing, yet the extracted spirit may also be sold raw, repeatedly distilled or filtered, or transferred back into halmilla vats for maturing up to 15 years, depending on flavor, color and fragrance requirements.


title: Arrack

text: Premium blends of arrack add no other ingredients, while the inexpensive and common blends are mixed with neutral spirits before bottling. Most people describe the taste as resembling "...a blend between whiskey and rum", similar, but distinctively different at the same time.