Kora Taisha – Kurume, Fukuoka.
End of the year is approaching very quickly. It feels like I haven`t done a lot on this site this
Category: Religion
First Christmas in Japan, 1552
I recently visited Yamaguchi Prefecture and found out that the first Christmas ever celebrated in Japan was right there. During
Enryakuji temple – Kyoto (Pictorial)
This is one of my favourite temple regions and it is a World Heritage Site to boot. You will need
Hara Castle Ruins and the Amakusa/Shimabara Rebellion, Minami Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture.
For about a year I have wanted to visit Hara Castle ruins. I first heard of Hara castle when I
Amakusa and the Shimabara Rebellion – Kyushu.
A statue of Shiro Amakusa. The young Christian rebel who rose up and led a rebellion against the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Raizan Sennyoji and early Buddhism in Japan. Itoshima, Fukuoka
A couple of weeks ago I visited Raizan Sennyoji in Itoshima. Itoshima is a nice little country suburb a little
Miyajidake Shrine, Fukutsu City, Kyushu.
Miyajidake sits in the northern region of Fukutsu city about 1 hour from central Fukuoka. It is famous for the
Hannya – (A Japanese She-Demon)
In Japanese folklore the female demon (oni) Hannya figures prominently. Often depicted in traditional Noh and Bunraku plays using a
Achi Shrine, Kurashiki, Okayama.
On the hill overlooking the historical Bikan area is the ancient Achi Shrine. According to the Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan)
KAMI, Japan’s Native Gods
God (Kami) When the English word God is translated into Japanese, it is generally represented by the kanji (Chinese character)
Site Update
After 2 years with the same theme, I decided to make a change. Please tell me what you think. I
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
A short summary of Francis Xavier and Christianity in Japan
Not a bad summary I found of Francis Xavier and Christianity in Japan. Francis Xavier, a founder of the Society
6th Century Japan and the Emergence of Buddhism.
I have a few friends who also have a passion for Japanese history. Here is a great article about the
Kunisaki: Into a World of Moss and Stone
Wow, so busy teaching at the moment so I haven’t had time to do any more research into my next
Mt Hiei
I never get tired of going to Mt Hiei and taking photos. The three Enryakuji temple complexes are fabulous and
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
Senso-ji, Asakusa
I visited Senso-ji earlier this month and it is by far the busiest temple I have been to. On a
Old Japanese maps
Reading through one of my fellow bloggers pages (thankyou Stephen) reminded me of a couple of old Japanese maps I
Japanese History and Culture 