Shoki

Japanese: 鍾馗 - しょうき

The Japanese Army's Type 2 single-seater fighter. The first modern heavy fighter of the Japanese Army during World War II. It was designed and developed by Nakajima Aircraft, whose engineers included Hideo Itokawa (→Pencil Rocket), with the intention of hit-and-run tactics rather than dogfighting. The prototype was named Ki-44. The 10 prototypes and the original 40 I-types were equipped with Nakajima Ha-41 engines (1250 horsepower) and were completed in August 1940. They were deployed to the south when the Pacific War began in December 1941, but they seemed to lack power. Therefore, the II-type and III-types, which entered production at the end of 1942, were replaced with Ha-109 engines (1450 horsepower), and a total of 1175 aircraft were manufactured. The strengthened engine improved the climb, acceleration, and speed performance, and it was the first Japanese fighter to be equipped with a 13mm thick bulletproof plate behind the seat to protect the pilot. However, it had a short flight range, and the large diameter of the engine in front of the cockpit made visibility poor and made takeoff and landing difficult. Initially, it was lightly equipped with two 12.7mm fixed machine guns in the wings and two 7.7mm machine guns in the nose, but this was later changed to four 12.7mm machine guns. With this, it was used in the battles in the south early in the war, and towards the end of the war it was used to defend the mainland against the American Boeing B-29s that were attacking Japan at high altitudes. The final specifications were one Nakajima Ha-109 (1450 horsepower) engine, one crew member, overall length 8.8m, overall width 9.45m, total weight 2770kg, empty weight 2109kg, maximum speed 605-615km/h, and range 1300km. Armament was four 12.7mm machine guns. (→Fighter aircraft)

Shoki
Zhong-kui

A deity of protection from evil spirits in Chinese folk beliefs. Belief in deities of protection from evil spirits has been popular since ancient times, with various deities and customs, and this is one development of that belief. According to a popular legend, it began when Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty had a dream in which he saw Shoki exorcising an evil spirit while ill, and had Wu Daozi draw a picture of Shoki. Originally, people would post pictures of Shoki on New Year's Eve to exorcise evil spirits, but later it became part of the Tango festival, and has been passed down to Japan as a Tango festival.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

日本陸軍の二式単座戦闘機。第2次世界大戦時の日本陸軍最初の近代的重戦闘機。糸川英夫（→ペンシル・ロケット）らの技術陣を擁する中島飛行機が格闘戦よりも一撃離脱戦法を意図して設計，開発したもの。試作名称キ‐44。試作 10機と当初の I型 40機は中島ハ‐41エンジン（1250馬力）を装備して，1940年8月に完成，翌 1941年12月の太平洋戦争開戦とともに南方の実戦配備についたが，出力不足の感があった。そのため 1942年末から生産に入った II型および III型はハ‐109エンジン（1450馬力）に換装され，合わせて 1175機が製造された。エンジン強化によって上昇，加速，速度性能が向上し，日本の戦闘機としては初めて座席後部に操縦者保護のため厚さ 13mmの防弾板を装備した。しかし航続距離が短く，操縦席前方のエンジン直径が大きくて視界が悪く離着陸が難しいという難点もあった。火器は当初，翼内に 12.7mm固定機関銃 2，機首に 7.7mm機関銃 2という軽装備だったが，のちに 12.7mm機関銃 4に改められた。これで戦争初期は南方の戦いに投入され，末期には日本に向かって高々度で来襲するアメリカ軍のボーイングB-29に対し本土防空の任務にあたった。最終的な諸元はエンジンが中島ハ‐109（1450馬力）1，乗員 1，全長 8.8m，全幅 9.45m，総重量 2770kg，自重 2109kg，最大速度時速 605～615km，航続距離 1300km。武装は 12.7mm機関銃 4。（→戦闘機）

鍾馗
しょうき
Zhong-kui

中国，民間信仰の魔よけの神。古代から魔よけの神の信仰が盛んで，さまざまな神と習俗とがあったが，その一つの展開であろう。俗説では，唐の玄宗皇帝が病中に鍾馗が悪鬼を退治する夢を見，鍾馗の図を呉道子に書かせたことから始るという。もとは，大みそかに鍾馗の図を貼って悪霊を祓ったが，その後，端午の行事のなかに加わり，日本にも端午の行事として伝わっている。

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