Freyashawk Guardians of Azuma Guide

‘​Guardians of Azuma’ offers the opportunity to inhabit a traditional Japanese landscape and participate in some traditional acts of devotion at shrines as well as seasonal festivals. It inspired me to return to my childhood love of Japanese culture and attempt to study symbols of power in more depth. Here are some symbols with their meanings: Sacred Bells: Kagura Suzu and Sanbaso: Sanbaso is a famous dance both in Kabuki and Noh derived from the ancient Okina play to offer prayers for peace, safe travel and rich harvests (gokoku hojo) The Kagura Suzu is a very special set of bells on a wand that are an integral aspect of a sacred Kagura dance. A male Sanbaso doll drives away evil, invites good fortune and is a symbol for a plentiful harvest or large fishing catch.  They are used, especially in hanging displays of Hina doll sets to give healthy growth and future happiness to children. The male Sanbaso portrays the ‘third man’ in the Okina performance, known for rhythmical intense d...

​ Above, two dolls who are performing sacred dances that use Kagura Suzu bells.  From what I understand, Suzu bells feature as accessories that are held by many dolls but they can be either a single round bell or a pair of bells. The Kagura Suzu bells represent the original Sakaki branch utilised by the goddess who danced to bring the Sun god Amaterasu out of hiding.  When she heard the laughter and sound of the dance performance, she looked out from the cave to see what was happening.  In some versions of the myth, the goddess performing the dance showed her private parts and this inspired laughter.  Sexual gestures in folk performances often are intended to be entertaining and comedic rather than lascivious and the laughter brought Amaterasu out of hiding. The Sakaki branch still considered sacred became a set of bells in the actual Kagura dance that retold the tale.  Bells are used in many cultures to summon the gods or spiritual power.  The Kagura Suzu ...

It appears that no one really completed a guide for gifting Monsters in Guardians of Azuma.  People wrote down the lists of 'drops' or products they obtain, but did not pursue the actual lists in any comprehensive fashion. Part of the problem is, in my experience anyway, that every Monster is unique.  A gift that works to send one King Wooly to your barn may fail with the next. Be that as it may, I now will give my results here: Poison Spider at Dragon's Tomb:  tamed with a Strong Fang Silver Steed on Island: tamed with Strong Fur King Wooly: tamed with Medium Fur Iron Tengu on Glacial Island: Quality Fletch Moon Mushsprite: Heavenly Kingdom: Sleep Powder Golden Gatling in Heqvenly Kingdom: Olive Oil Grizzled Bear Frostfang took Quality Ckaw Buffsmoo Frosrtfang took Strong Horn  Red Oni Archer Fleeting Flower took Strong Cloth Spider took Quality Thread Mystic Neko took Quality Cloth Goldblossom Mine: Blue Oni guard rejected Quality Horn but took Quality Cloth Underw...

​I finally chose the second option, Umi as my firstborn with Kai in a new game and he is a delight: Tonight when I was organising my storage after having dinner with both Kai and Jasper, I heard him shout:  Come one!  Let’s go eat!  It’s dinnertime!’ What fun he is, eliciting all sorts of responses to his antics.  He is very much a son of Kai. Never a dull moment.  When I allow him to go with us into battle, the little boy is at the front fighting fearlessly.

​The creators of Guardians of Azuma expressed a wish to invest the game with as many of the traditions of Japan as possible. Japan of course has diverse spiritual as well as mundane cultures and each has had its own special influence through the centuries but the Japanese managed to create a very unique synthesis finally between some of its native religions and beliefs rather than continuing to perceive other belief systems as a hostile or corrupting threat.   I am not an expert in Shinto beliefs but I studied and taught comparative religion and legends and to me, Guardians of Azuma enshrines Shintoism far more than any other belief system.  Although Buddhism has played a large part in shaping the culture and aesthetics of religious art and rituals, the animism that is so much a part of  Shinto beliefs is very apparent the world of Guardians of Azuma.  Thus, the reverence shown to Ulalaka’s sacred cherry tree that is displayed at the very beginning of this game and t...

Last updated February by correcting typos and adding more details to Frostfang Cavern walkthrough.  This part of my Journal includes all four Astral Shrines: 18 Spring:  Murasame tells us about a place with a shrine.  It is the Forgotten Grove. Attacked first by Woolies and Mushsprites.  On the left, a Frog containing Offering Box Recipe. I run all the way to a Wayside Shrine: Tamahagane Sword Talisman of Fissures Ruby Pauldron To the right, path ovstructed by Mining Rocks.  I hit them all. Continue foreard. Jizo Shrine. Carry on and find the purole blightbloom with blue centre at last and use the Sword on it. Another Jizo Shrine. I turn and follow the Map towards a Frog in the north.  Chest on the left has Aquanarine.  Frog contains Large Pot Recipe.   Almost to the entrance again, I can jump through the logs and net of Blight.  But now I see the Blightbloom high where i can use a Firearrow.  I do so. There is so much poison and it...