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Traditional Japanese Festivals

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​The creators of Guardians of Azuma expressed a wish to invest the game with as many of the traditions of Japan as possible. In early February, the festival of Setsubon is celebrated in Japan to mark the transition between Winter and Spring. One of its highlights is Mamimaki where roasted soy beans are scattered to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune.   Oni masques often are worn and when the beans are thrown, there are shouts of:  ‘Oni wa Soto!  Fuku and Ochi!’  This translates as ‘ Oni out!  Good fortune in!’ Does this sound familiar even if you never attended Setsubon?  It should!  In Guardians of Azuma, the children are playing and need a target to practice throwing beans.  Kurama refuses but Kai, ever good humoured, volunteers under your influence and has fun with them.  This is the first time you see his handsome face, when a bean hits him in the eye and he removes his masque for a moment. He chooses to see the declaration, not...

Frog Locations Guardians of Azuma

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This is a new post.  I started a new game and will log all of the Frog Statues with their locations.  I am taking screenshots in many cases and then listing the items later, but I will confirm all locations. Also other Recipes: Quests: Wandering Merchant Quest gives Daruma Recipe Spring Village: None Spring Highlands: Bench Plateau Hill: Jizo Statue Chest with Earth Crystal Wayside Shrine: Steel Sword,  Chest with Tiger Scroll Onion Slices Recipe Roasted Tea Leaves Recipe, Relazx Tea Recipe  After performing Sword Dance on Blight: Chest containing Path Then reach Save a point at Wayside Shrine Area Wayside Shrine has Exorcism Earring Recipe, Ring of Repose Recipe, Animal Ear Headband Recipe Jizo Statue Frog with Apple Pie Recipe Apple Trees  Chest with Kirin Scroll Frog: Water Pail Recipe Frog: wooden Crate Recipe  Frog: Iron Bracelet Recipe Frog: Wooden Bucket Recipe Rickety Fence Recipe Secret Cave near Bear: Frog: Stone Pillar Recipe Near Jiso Trio Save ...

Restoring the Autumn Village Walkthrough

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(This is a subsidiary quest that allows all Mushrooms collected to be identified.  There is a Reward when you have found all varieties.  Go to the Mushroom Island in the sky when you have collected a few.) 29 January: This walkthrough was written playing an early game.  Since then, Marvelous released two free downloads: ‘Of Rice and Ruins’ and the ‘Story of Seasons’ download.  I dealt with both in separate posts.  When they were released, I had completed the game, so they were not as useful to me as they might have been in a new game.   Note here that the SoS Quests load on the Request Board of any village when you first become Chief.  Essentially, when Village points start to count.  In Autumn, you will find them as soon as you complete the Mechanical Maze.   Walkthrough: After flying to the Autumn Village and being surprised by Kotaro transforming into something identical to Woolby and then being chastised by Yachiyo, I was told...

Restoring the Summer Village Walkthrough, Post 2, Year 1

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Spring, Year 1 This was written before the Story of Seasons download.  Now you will find that the Quest to tame the Chicken appears when you are made Chief by Hisui. After speaking to Kusatsu, Tsubame and Hisui, go to the Request Board to collect rewards from your earlier actions.  At this point, you still need to monitor the Spring Village and there are more areas to explore in the Spring Wilds. New quest: speak to all three . Ema Plaques are: Relive a boss battle Buy from travelling peddlar Defeat a Level 1 Buffamoo New here: Reach Bond Level 3 with some one Learn Flower Blessings, Sacred Drum Go speak to the residents one by one. Hisui will tell you to change your name, that it radiates misfortune and you will surely die.  What this is really is a hint that you can go to her at any time to change your name if you chose the default at the start and wish to choose one of your own making. She will give you a Talisman of Blazes.  A Talisman is a weapon use...

Random Conversations in Guardians of Azuma

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Even the conversation of shopkeepers and other Villagers can be full of surprises... This was how the day began... I have developed quite a relationship with the old man, Kazuhiko, who runs the Summer Soothing Waves Izakaya: He shares his aches and pains and all of his feelings with me now.   The amount of detail in this game is incredible.  It really is a tour de force.  Adding some one to your party adds dialogue during combat.  During fishing, entirely different comments are experienced. Kai: 'Enough waiting.  Can't I just grab 'em with my bare hands?   Murasame: Victory belongs to me today, my fine fishy friends!' Kurama, when you load the game: 'There you are. Every one's excited to see you... but take your time.' At low Level even after you first begin to interacrt and can include him in your Party,   Kai may say:  Looking pretty rough there, Chief!  Need a shoulder to lean on? Put Kura...