The Edo period was considerably peaceful with fewer wars and rivalry, but the threat from the shogun’s subordinate feudal lords and other enemies was always there. Nightingale floors were popular during the Edo period-a period stretching from the early 17th century to the mid-19th century, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. Inside Ninomaru Palace of the Nijo castle where nightingale floors are installed. In English, they are known as nightingale floors. It is said that these specially designed creaking floors sound much like the bush warbler singing. They are known as uguisu-bari, where uguisu refers to the Japanese bush-warbler or the Japanese Nightingale-a very shy bird that prefers to stay hidden among the foliage, but its distinctive breeding call can be heard throughout much of Japan from the start of spring. Some Japanese castles built during the Edo period had these kind of flooring in the hallways. But in ancient Japanese societies, especially among royal families, squeaky floors were not hated but desired-because a floor that screeched and groaned with each step was an effective anti-burglar alarm system. Squeaky floors are annoying, which is why when you search for “squeaky floors” in Google, you get hundreds of articles offering you tips and advice on how to make your floors squeak less.
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