This late bloomer spawned a 265-year dynasty

Monday, May 15, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we follow an old timer’s rise to power, check ourselves for ticks, reconsider adopting a popular social media pet … and take a journey down tie-dye’s past.

COLLECTION THE HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART. GIFT OF PHILIP H. ROACH JR., 2014

We can learn a lot from Tokugawa Ieyasu. He started his upward climb to rule at age 15, capitalizing on cleverness and patience (and a little bit of luck) to become a shogun at 60.

Gradually and strategically, the shogun (depicted above) built a dynasty that endured in Japan for 265 years.

Read about his rise and let us know of late-bloomers you admire.

HOW HE DID IT

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UIG/ALBUM

A seasoned warrior’s big win: A 19th-century screen depicts the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), which cleared Tokugawa Ieyasu’s path to the shogunate and marked the beginning of the end of centuries of war. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASTRID HARRISSON/ALAMY

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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

PHOTOGRAPH BY TARA WRAY

Setting the scene: You see a dog locked in a hot car. The owner is nowhere in sight. What should you do? (Hint: The answer depends on which state you live.)

A: Smash the window and rescue the dog
B: Call the police
C: All of the above
D: None of the above

SEE THE ANSWER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARNE FEUERHAHN, HARD TO PORT

Say it ain’t so, Iceland: The popular tourist destination has an ugly whale-hunting past—and present. Nat Geo discovers it is worse than you think. (Pictured above, a ship owned by the last whaling company operating in the nation tows captured fin whales to port in August.)

THE END OF WHALING?

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANK BIENEWALD, LIGHTROCKET/GETTY IMAGES

A colorful surprise: Many associate the swirl of colors to the 1960s hippie movement, but tie-dye’s history is a bit of a mystery. From Peru to Nigeria, Japan and Southeast Asia, tie-dying has been used as a symbol of love and in religious ceremonies. In some cases, it has been forbidden. (Above, tie-dyed saris and scarves dry in the sun.)

BELOVED, YET BANNED

Today’s soundtrack: Alone in Kyoto, Air

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Want to let us know your thoughts? Send away: david.beard@natgeo.com. Happy trails!

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RJ Hamster

This late bloomer spawned a 265-year dynasty

This late bloomer spawned a 265-year dynasty

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