History – Page 8 – Japanese History and Culture

Why didn’t Japanese seafarers find the Americas?

Browsing the web last night I came across an interesting question. Why didn’t the Japanese find the Americas before the

What is Heiankyo you may ask? You may know of the Heian Period which began in 794 and lasted til

The Meiji Restoration is a very important period in Japan’s history as it reestablished Imperial rule and was the catalyst

Years ago when I first came to Japan I read Taiko and Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. These two books were

Many of you may look at this person’s name and wonder why I have chosen a foreigner in my Japanese

I have a always been curious about the Japanese population during different eras of Japanese history. Especially during the Mongol

One of the most famous lords of the Sengoku Period (1467-1600). I was fascinated by Nobunaga about 6-7 years ago

This is a document analysis I did in 2010 regarding the Tokugawa Edict of 1635. It is a little long

I love Nijo Castle. I visited the complex and explored the grounds in 2010. I am always on the lookout

Reading through one of my fellow bloggers pages (thankyou Stephen) reminded me of a couple of old Japanese maps I

A change of pace now, away from temples and shrines. Sumo, one of Japan’s oldest sports but one of the

Emperor Kammu was born in 737 as the crown prince of Emperor Konin and ascended to the throne in 781

Todaiji (東大寺, Tōdaiji, “Great Eastern Temple”) is one of Japan’s most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of

Born in Kagoshima in the Satsuma domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) Saigō Takamori was one of the Satsuma samurai supporting the

The Kofun Period (古墳時代 Kofun jidai) refers to the protohistoric period of Japan, usually dated from 250 to ca 538

Bix, Herbert P. 2001. Hirohito and the making of modern Japan. New York, NY: Perennial. Booth, Alan. 1995. Looking for