Horlack Bricks Posted February 19, 2020 https://ideas.lego.com/projects/49ca9889-05fb-4887-ab3a-aad4add5237eCultural link :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenshuhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onna-bugeishahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yumihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoe_Gozenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakano_Takekohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_(weapon)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ōtsuchihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyumihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii I love Ninjago and Japan. Thus was born this idea with historical consonance of medieval Japan, while being incorporable with Ninjago. I have been looking for a long time: to have a strong iconic and cultural medieval Japanese architecture, and to have a Ninjago aspect. The Soutou Tenshu ! In Japanese, a "Tenshu" is a multi-floor castle tower. A "Tenshukaku" is a Japanese castle. A "Soutou Tenshu" designates a particular architectural form, which is a smaller version of a Tenshukaku. There is no word in English or in Western culture for this type of construction. It’s not just a tower of a castle. It is a scaled-down reproduction of a main keep in a Japanese castle. In the West, this notion does not exist. To date, there are 12 original surviving Japanese castles. So few remain… The Soutou Tenshu are a cultural treasure in Japan; they are emblematic of its architectural sophistication, beauty and functionality. They are classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Soutou Tenshu - LEGO IDEA by Horlack, sur Flickr With my creation, I have not reproduced an existing Soutou Tenshu. I wanted an authentic representation of a Soutou Tenshu, but I also wanted to pay tribute to all the Soutou Tenshu which have disappeared over history. That is to say, I preserved the architectural spirit of the Soutou Tenshu, while allowing myself the freedom of imagination to incorporate playability into its construction for a child. The toy aspect of this for a child is just as important to me as its cultural fidelity to Japan. I have devoted myself to researching and uncovering ancient and long-forgotten aspects of Japanese culture. Whether just forgotten by time or lost in the writings of European historians who “westernized” the Orient too much. Modern history books have erased certain historical facts about Japan which did not agree with their vision of the western (often masculine) world, sometimes so much so that we forget about the Japanese themselves ! For example, today we know that Samurai often had katanas, an iconic and mythical Japanese sword. But we forget that many samurai did not have the financial means to buy such a prestigious weapon, which might cost them years, or even a lifetime, of salary. Likewise, we overlook the fact that there were more modest samurai who fought with axes, spears and bows. More importantly, we are unaware that there were samurai women, called Onna Bugeisha, who could make up 30% of an army. But modern Western feminism ignores the fact that the Japanese, 5 to 6 centuries before the Westerners, already had their feminism. No, feminism is not credited as a gift of our modern world. Thus, I intentionally incorporated into my Soutou Tenshu five powerful elements of ancient Japanese culture, forgotten and passed over in silence by Western reports. Personnagesi-01 by Horlack, sur Flickr 1 / A female samurai figurine with a Japanese longbow, named Daïkyu. Like the famous Samourai woman Tomoe Gozen, whose life gave birth to beautiful poems and tales. Woman of legend, with an extraordinary destiny, who commanded men. (Kimono based on figurine Ivy Walker - set 70620) 2 / A female samurai figurine with a long spear, named Nagamaki or Naginata. Like the famous woman Samourai Nakano Takeko, of the Aizu clan, who ordered up to 30% of samurai women equipped with this weapon, in her army. The length of the handle of the Nagamaki and Naginata, allowed women to keep an enemy at a distance, even if the opponent was stronger. The advantages of this weapon are a bit like the Greek phalanxes under Alexander. (based on Kimono Girl, Series 4) 3 / A male samurai figurine, with a large axe named a Masakari, and a small axe named an Ono. Representative of some samurai from low social class, such as farmers or monks (also named "samurai monk" or "warrior monk"); many of these men rose to the rank of samurai by their courage and loyalty to their lord. They often fought with weapons from their social class (like axes), because the Katana was inaccessible to them financially. (based on figurine Kendo Fighter, Series 15 & Samurai Warrior, Series 3 & Samurai, Series 13) 4 / A male samurai figurine, with a large mallet made entirely of hard wood known as an Otsuchi. This weapon was used by samurai from low social class. It was also effective for breaking down castle doors. Despite its heavy and rudimentary appearance, it was a formidable weapon to crush the leather and metal armor of enemy samurai (based on figurine Kendo Fighter, Series 15 & Samurai Warrior, Series 3 & Samurai, Series 13) 5 / The ōyumi, a defensive ballista. The ōyumi was a complicated type of giant crossbow, although historians are unsure of its appearance, as there are no real examples or illustrations known. Only five medieval texts refer to it. Historians agree that this weapon did exist, but it is one of the forgotten weapons of Japan’s past, and its details have been lost in history. The construction of Soutou Tenshu, with a certain free interpretation to be compatible with the gameplay: Ground floor : -Door with stylized Oni face -Stylized portal (or Torii), with emblem of Japan (wink) -Forge / blacksmith -Well water -Water and sake reserve (wink) -Prison / warehouse room -Ōyumi ballist -Various weapons. -Sakura Cherry blossom tree (emblematic tree of Japan) First floor : -Kitchen -Dining room / refectory -Weapons room / training room Second floor : -Bedroom Base : Folding base with 3 basic hinges (pivots) on the outsides, and a triple system of internal hinges per pivot, to stabilize and strengthen the base, with part number 19954 Hinge plate 1x2. When the base is closed, the stability and structural integrity is increased by the triple internal hinge system, and also by the 4 train magnets hidden in the walls of the ground floor. . Play functions : Everything is playable and functional. You can open the Tenshu by the hinges of the base, or by lifting the building floors like the LEGO Modular sets. Everything is accessible both horizontally and vertically. Working : Make with LEGO Digital Designer and Studio (Bricklink). There are 2987 bricks without minifigurines. The project required around three weeks of working and 72 hours of 3D rendering (calculation). If you love Japan, or your kids love Lego Ninjago, then support me ! thanks you very much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leafan Posted February 20, 2020 Hey @Horlack Bricks - it may have been my invitation that you accepted to come here; and if so, I am glad. I really like your Idea and had already added it to our Ideas Support thread. Welcome to Eurobricks - I hope you stick around and join our community here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horlack Bricks Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) yes it's your invitation, that i come here :)I was very happy and surprised to see a member of Eurobricks comment on my LEGO IDEA idea, and to post-it in a topic.Samurai with Masakari axe and Ono axe by Horlack, sur Flickr Edited February 20, 2020 by Horlack Bricks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sander1992 Posted February 20, 2020 That is a nice buid to have on Ideas. Good luck! Thank you for the background information. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jerry McGlade Posted March 21, 2020 Supported and great job on the build. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lion King Posted May 17, 2021 Hey @Horlack Bricks! I may be late to the party but I just came across this one. Boy, I really enjoyed reading the history about Soutou Tenshu and other cool things. I’m a fan of Japanese history & culture myself. More importantly, you did a great job with your LEGO project! I just checked LEGO IDEAS - I don’t think I can see how many supporters behind this IDEAS? In that case, I will support you if it’s still going on! Keep your work up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
