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Category: History
Meet the 12 original castles of Japan
While Japan is home to more than 300 castles, there are only 12 original castles in Japan. By “original” it is meant that the castle tower (or main keep) is one that was built during the Edo period or earlier. The fact that there are only 12 original castles is mainly due to the fact… Read more
Seki – The Land of the Katana
The beautiful yet deadly katana are Japan’s most famous ancient weapons. For centuries it has amazed locals and strangers with its elegance and historical wealth. Katanas are often closely linked with Japanese warriors of yesteryear, samurai, ninja (shinobi), onna-bugeisha, and kunoichi. There is much information about how they are made with extraordinary care and technique,… Read more
Katana-kaji – Master Japanese Swordsmiths
Katana-kaji , the master craftsman who makes the wonderful Japanese katana or tohken swords. It is possible to trace the origin of tohken to the Kojiki (Archives of the Ancient Masters) and Nihonshoki (The oldest chronicles of Japan) texts. These were considered sacred treasures rather than a weapon, offered to deities at shrines, and placed… Read more
The Origin of Tabi Socks
Recently, tabi socks have enjoyed something of a “renaissance”, growing in popularity around the world. And honestly, we’re not surprised! Considering the sock’s separately wrapped thumb is extremely comfortable, plus a wide variety of very creative designs. Of course, like many things from Japan, tabi socks have an interesting story behind them. Tabi socks appeared… Read more
“Choju-Giga” – First manga in the history of Japan
The tradition of telling stories with a series of images in sequence has been a part of Japanese culture for a long time. This is the case of the ” Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga (鳥獣人物戯画)” which translates as “cartoons of anthropomorphic animals”, a series of very famous and somewhat mysterious scrolls of images since there are various assumptions… Read more
Constitution Day in Japan arouses debate on its revision
Every May 4th, Constitution Day is celebrated in Japan, which was when the current Constitution of Japan (日本國憲法 Nihon-Koku Kenpō) came into force 74 years ago. To mark the occasion, some groups across the country have called for amending the Constitution, while others favor keeping it in its current form. The pacifist Constitution of Japan,… Read more
Who was the last Samurai
It often happens that when we think of the last samurai, we come to the image of Tom Cruise as the protagonist of the blockbuster film that bears that name. Although it is an entertaining and dramatic movie, it is not very faithful to the story. (You can watch the video of this post or… Read more
Sake – Japan’s Liquor for two millennia
Sake has played a central role in Japanese life and culture for the past 2,000 years, as the knowledge and techniques involved in brewing have spread to all corners of the country. In fact, sake is such an integral part of the Japanese diet that having some knowledge of it can contribute to an understanding… Read more
Natsume Sōseki – Promoter of Modern Japanese Literature
Although he was a writer whose artistic activity lasted only about 10 years, Natsume Sōseki has gone down in Japanese history as the greatest promoter of modern Japanese literature . His works, which are many, have remained a staple of school textbooks in Japan. His literature has long been considered to have captured what is… Read more
Karate – The Way of the Empty Hand
Karate (空手), also known as Karate-dō (空手道) “the way of the empty hand”. Karate is believed to have arrived in China around 1,400 years ago by Daruma, the founder of Zen Buddhism in western India. His teaching methods were very hard and exhaustive, which he developed as a training system so that his disciples would… Read more