Battle of Tabaruzaka, Siege of Kumamoto Castle, February – April 1877.
Hi everyone. Please note that this was originally written back in 2016 I think, I am in the middle of
Travel books
Two of my favourite Japanese travel books were written by Alan Booth. The Roads to Sata (1986) and Looking for
Tokyo Ginza revisited.
Browsing my photos over the weekend I realised one of the photos I posted last week has a connection with
Old photos
I have a lot of old photos on my hard drive so I thought I would share some with you.
Resources: Journals on Japanese and Asian Studies
Found this comprehensive list of journals for Asia and Japan. I have used some of these but I will be
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
Magome and the Nakasendo track
Famous old Kiso Kaido. Historic walk between two post towns that links Kyoto with Edo.
The Tale of Genji
The Tale of Genji SPECIAL TO THE JAPAN TIMES This is a must read for those of you interested in
Osaka Castle rebuild
Just a short post. I found this photo of Osaka Castle from the 50s when it was being rebuilt after
Ukiyo-e, comparison of quality and authenticity.
While in Japan in September 2013 I visited Asakusa, Sensoji. While walking down the Nakamise I found a shop specialising
The origins of tattooing in Japan – Jomon and Ainu.
Origins of Japanese tattoos.
Datsun/Nissan history
Something a little different to what I usually put up here. I have been working on this project for over
Senkaku islands dispute and history
Some of the claims to sovereignty over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands don’t hold up well under scrutiny, argues Tadashi Ikeda. A
Famous or Infamous?
Story about Yukio Mishima. On the 25th Nov 1970 Mishima committed seppuku while standing on a balcony in a
Primary source or not?
It is sometimes difficult to tell if the resource you find is actually an original (primary) source or not. I
Book and Journal lists updated.
I have finally done some updating of my book and Journal listings. If you are interested in learning more about
Tokugawa and Edo Period (Poster presentation notes)
A few notes from a poster presentation I did about the Tokugawa family and the Edo Period. History of the
Emergence of the Jomon
I have visited several museums which have some great Jomon artefacts, most recently in Hokkaido. Last year I went to
Senso-ji, Asakusa
I visited Senso-ji earlier this month and it is by far the busiest temple I have been to. On a
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
Japanese History and Culture 