Ummandla Ekwakulotywa Kuwo Waba Sisixeko Esidumileyo

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EJAPAN

NGENYE imini entle yehlobo ngoAgasti 1590, uIeyasu Tokugawa (ngasekunene), waba ngowokuqala kwisizukulwana seenkosi zamaTokugawaa ukuthi cakatha kummandla ekulotywa kuwo wase-Edo kwimpuma yeJapan. Incwadi iThe Shogun’s City—A History of Tokyo ithi, ngelo xesha “iEdo yayinamakhulu ambalwa kuphela amabobosi ezindlu, ekwakuhlala kuzo amahlwempu nabalobi.” Kuloo mmandla kwakukho inqaba eyayakhiwe kwisithuba esingaphezu kwenkulungwane.

Le dolophana yayifudula ingacacanga kangangeenkulungwane, namhlanje yaziwa njengeTokyo ikomkhulu laseJapan, isixeko esiphithizelayo—esinabantu abangaphezu kwe-12 lezigidi. Ngoku iTokyo inkqenkqeza phambili kwezobugcisa, ezonxibelelwano, ezothutho nezorhwebo, yaye inabona vimba bemali bakhulu ehlabathini lonke. Yenzeka njani le nguqulelo ingaka?

Lo Mmandla Uba Sisixeko Seenkosi

Kangangenkulungwane ukususela ngowe-1467, iJapan yaba nemimandla emininzi elawulwa ziinkosi ezazifudula zingamagorha emfazwe. Ekugqibeleni, uHideyoshi Toyotomi, owayeyinkosi ephuma kwintsapho ehlwempuzekileyo, wadibanisa imimandla eliqela waza waba ngumlawuli wayo ngowe-1585. Ekuqaleni, uIeyasu walwa neli gorha linguHideyoshi, kodwa kamva wagob’ uphondo. Badibanisa imikhosi yabo baza bathimba inqaba yaseOdawara, eyayiphantsi kwesizwe samaHōjō, baza boyisa ummandla waseKanto ongakwimpuma yeJapan.

UHideyoshi wabela uIeyasu ummandla omkhulu wamaphondo asibhozo aseKanto, onxalenye inkulu yawo yayifudula iphantsi kwamaHōjō, ngaloo ndlela emdudulela kwicala elingasempuma. Kuyabonakala ukuba wayezama iqhinga lokuba uIeyasu abe kude neKyoto, ummandla ekwakuhlala kuwo umlawuli waseJapan. UIeyasu wavuma, yaye waya e-Edo njengoko kuchaziwe ekuqaleni. Waqalisa ukuwulungisa lo mmandla wokuloba ukuze ube sisixeko.

Emva kokufa kukaHideyoshi, uIeyasu wakhokela imikhosi emanyeneyo, uninzi lwayo olwaluvela kwimpuma yeJapan, waza wahlasela imikhosi yasentshona yaye wayoyisa ngosuku nje olunye ngowe-1600. Ngowe-1603, uIeyasu wanyulwa njengenkosi yohlanga. Ngoko iEdo yaba likomkhulu elitsha laseJapan.

UIeyasu wayalela iinkosana ukuba zithumele amadoda nezinto zokwakha ukuze kugqityezelwe ukwakhiwa kwepomakazi lenqaba. Ngaxa lithile, kwathunyelwa iinqanawa ezingama-3 000 ukuze zithwale amatye enyengane amakhulu awayembiwe kumawa akuSingasiqithi weIzu, omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-100 ukuya emazantsi. La matye othulwa ezibukweni, laza iqela lamadoda elimalunga nekhulu lawathuthela kwindawo ekwakuza kwakhiwa kuyo.

Le nqaba, eyayiyeyona inkulu eJapan, yagqitywa kwiminyaka engama-50 kamva, ngexesha lokulawula kwenkosi yesithathu, yaye yayiluphawu olubalaseleyo lolawulo lwesizukulwana samaTokugawa. Umkhosi owawuphantsi kwaloo nkosi wawuhlala kufuphi naloo nqaba. Inkosi yayifuna ukuba iinkosana zibe namapomakazi ezindlu e-Edo kwakunye neenqaba kwimimandla ezilawula kuyo.

Ukuze kuzalisekiswe iimfuno zemikhosi yamajoni, kwagaleleka amaqela abarhwebi neengcali zivela kulo lonke elo. Ngowe-1695—isithuba esimalunga nenkulungwane emva kokufika kukaIeyasu kuloo mmandla—abemi base-Edo banda baba sisigidi! Yaba sesona sixeko sikhulu ehlabathini ngelo xesha.

Ikrele Lithatyathelw’ Indawo Zezorhwebo

Iinkosi zakwazi ukugcina uxolo kangangokuba amajoni ayengenamsebenzi ungako. Noko ke, amajoni ayesazingomb’ isifuba ngomsebenzi wawo, kodwa ulawulo lwawo lwathatyathelw’ indawo lurhwebo olwaluxhaphakile ngelo xesha eMpuma. Kwabakho uxolo kwelo kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwama-250. Abemi belo, ingakumbi abarhwebi, bahambela phambili kwezoqoqosho yaye loo nto yabenza bakwazi ukuzimela. Iimeko zatshintsha ngokuphawulekayo.

Abantu babebukela imidlalo edumileyo yeKabuki (imidlalo yamandulo), iBunraku (imiboniso yoonodoli) nerakugo (amabali ahlekisayo). Ngeengokuhlwa zehlobo, abantu babedla ngokuya kuphola kufuphi noMlambo iSumida, owawukufuphi nase-Edo. Babebukela iifireworks, umdlalo osaxhaphakileyo nanamhlanje.

Kodwa isixeko sase-Edo saqhubeka singaziwa. Kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwama-200, urhulumente wayengavumi ukuba abemi belo baqhagamshelane nabantu basemzini, ngaphandle kwamaDatshi, amaTshayina nabantu baseKorea. Ngenye imini kwenzeka isiganeko esingalindelekanga esaguqula yonke into kwelo lizwe.

IEdo Iba YiTokyo

Kunxweme lwase-Edo, kwathi gqi iinqanawa ezingaqhelekanga ezazikhupha umsi omnyama. Bothukile, abalobi babecinga ukuba ziintaba-mlilo ezidadayo! Kwakuthethwa ngazo kuyo yonke iEdo, kangangokuba abantu abaninzi bafuduka.

Ezo nqanawa zine, ezazikhokelwa nguMatthew C. Perry womkhosi waselwandle waseUnited States zamisa kuNxweme lwase-Edo ngoJulayi 8, 1853 (ngasekhohlo). Lo kaPerry wacela ukuba iJapan irhwebe nelizwe lakhe. Olu tyelelo lukaPerry lwenza amaJapan abona indlela asemva ngayo kwezomkhosi nakwezobugcisa xa ethelekiswa namanye amazwe.

Oku kwakhokelela ekuphelisweni kweenkosi zesizukulwana samaTokugawa kwaza kwamiselwa abalawuli. Ngowe-1868, iEdo yathiywa ngokuba yiTokyo, gama elo lithetha “Ikomkhulu LaseMpuma,” njengoko yayikummandla okwimpuma yeKyoto. Umlawuli wafuduka kwibhotwe laseKyoto waya kwinqaba yase-Edo, eyathi kamva yaba liBhotwe Lomlawuli elitsha.

Ngenxa yokuphenjelelwa yindlela yokuphila yaseNtshona, urhulumente omtsha waqalisa iphulo lokuphucula iJapan. Kwakukho umsebenzi omkhulu omele wenziwe. Abanye bakugqala njengommangaliso oku. Ngowe-1869 kwaqalisa ukubakho iingcingo zonxibelelwano phakathi kweTokyo neYokohama. Kungabanga thuba lide, kwakhiwa isiporo esidibanisa ezo zixeko zibini. Kwakhiwa nezakhiwo zezitena endaweni yezamaplanga. Kwakhiwa iibhanki, iihotele nezinye iivenkile. Kwavulwa iiyunivesithi zokuqala. Iindlela zafakelwa itha. Amaphenyane anenjini ayesehla enyuka kuMlambo iSumida.

Kwanenkangeleko yabantu yatshintsha. Uninzi lwabo lwalunxiba iikimono, kodwa ayesanda amaJapan anxiba ngendlela yaseNtshona. Amadoda akhulisa intshebe, athwala iminqwazi aza aphatha nenduku, ngoxa wona amabhinqa ayenxiba iilokhwe ezimbejembeje, yaye efunda nomdaniso wewaltz.

Ibhiya yayithandwa kakhulu njengesiselo esidumileyo salapho isake, yaye umdlalo webhola obethwa ngephini wawuthandwa njengomdlalo walapho wewrestling. ITokyo yacholachola iimbono zopolitiko nezabantu belo xesha. Esi sixeko sahambela phambili—de ngoluny’ usuku sehlelwa yintlekele.

Yavuk’ Eluthuthwini

NgoSeptemba 1, 1923, ngoxa abaninzi babelungiselela isidlo sasemini, ummandla waseKanto wahlaselwa yinyikima enkulu, eyalandelwa ngamakhulukhulu eenyikima ezincinane, nokushukuma komhlaba kwiiyure ezingama-24 kamva. Nangona le nyikima yabangela umonakalo omkhulu, owona monakalo mkhulu ngakumbi kukutsha kweTokyo. Kwafa abantu abangaphezu kwe-100 000, abangama-60 000 kubo babeseTokyo.

Abantu baseTokyo baqalisa umsebenzi omkhulu wokwakha eso sixeko kwakhona. Emva kokuba izinto sezibhetele kwakhona, kwaphinda kwavela enye intlekele—yahlaselwa ziinqwelo-moya ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Owona monakalo mkhulu kuxa kwaphoswa iibhombu ezimalunga nama-700 000 ngobusuku bukaMatshi 9/10, 1945, ukususela ezinzulwini zobusuku de kwayintsimbi yesithathu ekuseni. Izakhiwo ezininzi yayizezamaplanga, yaye zaqhushumbiswa ziibhombu ezinomlilo, owabulala abantu abangaphezu kwama-77 000 kweso sixeko. Lowo yaba ngumonakalo wokuqala omkhulu embalini owabangelwa zizixhobo ezingezizo ezenyukliya.

Phezu kwayo nje le ntlekele inkulu kangaka, emva kwemfazwe iTokyo yavuk’ eluthuthwini yaza yakhiwa kwakhona. Ngowe-1964, kungekapheli neminyaka engama-20 kamva, esi sixeko sasisele silungisiwe kwakhona, kangangokuba kwabanjelwa kuso iMidlalo yeOlimpiki Yasehlotyeni. Kumashumi amane adlulileyo eminyaka kuye kwazala izakhiwo ezingoorhec’ izulu noohola beendlela.

Bancedwa Sisimo Sabo Sengqondo

Isixeko esibizwa ngokuba yiTokyo ngoku esineminyaka engama-400 sikho, asisidalanga kakhulu xa sithelekiswa nezinye izixeko ezikhulu ehlabathini. Zisekho izakhiwo zakudala kwesi sixeko, kodwa zimbalwa kakhulu. Noko ke, xa ujonga kakuhle uya kuphawula ukuba indlela esakhiwe ngayo esi sixeko iyafana neye-Edo yamandulo.

Kumbindi wesi sixeko kukho isiqwenga esikhulu somhlaba esinezityalo eziluhlaza. IBhotwe Lomlawuli limi kwindawo eyayikade ikuyo inqaba yokuqala yase-Edo. Xa ulapho, ubona iindlela ezixananazileyo eziya macala onke esixeko kanye njengokuba kwakunjalo e-Edo. Nendlela ezimi ngayo izitrato ikwanjalo. Eneneni, uninzi lwezi zitrato alunamagama! Ngokwahlukileyo kwezinye izixeko ezikhulu ezinamagama ezitrato, ezalapho ziphawulwe ngeenombolo.

Eyona nto iphawulekayo sisimo sengqondo sabantu baseTokyo—bayakuthanda ukufunda izinto ezintsha, njengeengcamango ezivela kwamanye amazwe yaye abapheli mandla nakuba behlaselwa ziinyikima, ukudodobala kwezoqoqosho nengxaki yokuxinana kwabemi. Siyakumema ukuba uze kuzibonela ngokwakho abantu abadlamkileyo baseTokyo—isixeko esidumileyo esasikade siyidolophana engacacanga ekwakulotywa kuyo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 11]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

IJAPAN

ITOKYO (iEdo)

IYokohama

IKyoto

IOsaka

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12, 13]

ITokyo namhlanje

[Inkcazelo]

Ken Usami/photodisc/age fotostock

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 11]

© The Bridgeman Art Library

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