Nightingale Floor
Hacker, Randi
Hacker, Randi
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
Broadcast Transcript: A thousand years before electronics, the Japanese already had home security systems. Well, palace security systems like the one at Nijo Castle in Kyoto that was designed to keep the Tokugawa Shogun safe from any murderous ninja wishing to assassinate him. The name of this system is the nightingale floor and its genius is exceeded only by its simplicity: no code to memorize and no keypad to enter it on incorrectly. Here's how it works: the planks in the wooden floor sing when they're stepped on. The singing floor alerted palace personnel to the approach of an intruder. And when I say "sing," I mean "squeak." Do the floors in your house sing? Don't redo them: Rename them. Just tell everyone it's an authentic nightingale floor recommended by shogun for millennia. #hacker #japan #ceas
Description
This is one of hundreds of 60-second radio spots created by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) for Kansas Public Radio (KPR). The purpose of this outreach program is to introduce the people of Kansas to the culture and current issues of East Asia.
Date
2010-03-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Center for East Asian Studies, University of Kansas
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Japan, Nightingale Floor, Nijo Castle, Kyoto, Tokugawa Shogun, Shogun, Ninja, Home Security System