Empress Jingu and the Onna Bugeisha
Everybody knows about Japan and their samurai. But did you know men were not the only ones being trained to
Category: Culture
Kumamoto Castle, Kyushu.
Kumamoto Castle is still one of the most impressive castles in Japan. It is one of the big three which
Keisai Eisen – 69 Stations of the Kisokaido – Plate 8.
Title: Konosu Station, View of Mt Fuji from Fukiage. This scene is dominated by Mt Fuji in the distance and
Keisai Eisen – 69 Stations of the Kisokaido – Plate 1.
Title: Snow at Nihonbashi on New Year’s Morning. The Nihonbashi (Japan Bridge), was at the heart of Edo and the
Site Update
After 2 years with the same theme, I decided to make a change. Please tell me what you think. I
鷺娘の精 (The Spirit of the Heron Maiden)
鷺娘の精 (The Spirit of the Heron Maiden) woodblock print by Taniguchi Kokyo (1864-1915), dated 1925; from my collection. Oban tate-e
360 year old inn closes its doors.
Sad news I found today about the closing of a famous and traditional Japanese inn. It dates way back to
The Throw Away Temple – Dumping Ground of the Yoshiwara Prostitutes.
Not far from Minowa station on the Hibiya line is a nondescript temple called 浄閑寺—Jokanji. From the street, it looks
Nishi Honganji
Nishi Honganji is the mother temple for the Jodo Shinshu sect of Japanese Buddhism established by Shinran Shonan who lived
Shikoku Pilgrimage
Shikoku is host to the famous 88 temple pilgrimage. It is said to take up to 3 months to complete
Forced Affection -Rape as the First Act of Romance in Heian Japan (an essay)
While readers of Japanese literature from the Heian and Kamakura periods often find it difficult to determine when a sexual
Ushiwakamaru defeats Kumasaka Chohan – Ukiyo-e print
Not something I have done before but I found this beautiful Ukiyo-e print with some history attached to it. It’s
Japanese home architecture
I’ve been interested in Japanese style architecture for a long time but recently I’ve taken an interest in traditional home
Rare account of feudal warrior’s daily life.
HIKONE, Shiga Prefecture–Fascinating tidbits from the daily lives of samurai warriors have been gleaned from a diary found four years
Fukuoka: The Ancient Gateway to Japan
Fukuoka is the largest city in Kyūshū. From ancient times, the city’s proximity to the mainland has made it an
Kusado Sengen – Medieval archaeological site.
Kusado Sengen is the name of a medieval town that once used to be situated close to the mouth of
A firsthand account of vice and profit in Edo – Book review.
Riding the circular Yamanote Line on a Sunday in Tokyo, it is easy to daydream. Those who have found themselves
Sapporo Beer Factory
Last year my family and I visited the Sapporo Beer Factory. I have been there a few times but the
Travel books
Two of my favourite Japanese travel books were written by Alan Booth. The Roads to Sata (1986) and Looking for
Trove of documents found from the Samurai era
Tokyo – A trove of ancient documents unearthed at the Vatican could shed light on the brutal crackdown on Christianity
