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Category: People
The Most Famous Ninja of Feudal Japan
There are two types of warriors from the Japanese feudal era who have captured the interest of people around the world, creating a world of stories, myths and fantasy that embellish books and movies: the samurai warrior, knights who fought under a strict code of conduct based on in honor; and the ninja or shinobi,… Read more
Living National Treasure in Japan
One of the thoughts that crosses our minds as artists on more than one occasion is, I will be recognized for my work, for my contribution to culture, for the techniques I propose, etc. It is a concern that is often accompanied by the economic uncertainty that is usually linked to the arts, or in… Read more
Matsuo Basho – The Traveling Poet
“An old pond A jumping frog: the sound of water” – Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694) If you have delved even a little into Japanese poetry, it is very likely that you know this poem written by Matsuo Bashō 松尾芭蕉considered by many as ” The poet of Japan “ In his time, at the end… Read more
Kano Jigoro – The Father of Judo
Born in 1860 in Mikage (now part of Kobe), Kanō Jigorō嘉納治五郎 moved to Tokyo with his father at the age of 11. Although he was known as a child prodigy at school, he often faced adversity. To develop his strength, he decided to study the martial art of Jujutsu . During his time as a… Read more
Japanese with the Nobel Prize for Literature
Three Japanese-born authors have won the Nobel Prize for Literature since it was first awarded in 1901: Kawabata Yasunari in 1968, Ōe Kenzaburō in 1994, and Kazuo Ishiguro in 2017. Each is believed to have had a correspondingly strong Japanese rival. Tanizaki Jun’ichirō for Kawabata, Abe Kōbō for Ōe , and Murakami Haruki for Ishiguro.… Read more
Google Doodle honors Tsujimura Michiyo, chemist and green tea researcher
Google Doodle pays tribute to Tsujimura Michiyo辻村みちよ, a Japanese chemist best known for her extensive research on green tea . He celebrates his 133rd birthday and in the Google Doodle we see her in her laboratory hard at work analyzing and extracting the chemical components of green tea. The letters in the word ” Google… Read more
The ‘Father of Sudoku’ dies at 69
Maki Kaji, a puzzle enthusiast and publisher who was known as the ” Father of Sudoku ,” the number puzzle played daily by millions around the world, has died at the age of 69, according to information from his company. Kaji, a college dropout who worked in a printing shop before founding Japan’s first puzzle… Read more
Katsushika Hokusai – Ukiyo-e artist and an icon of Japan
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎(c. October 31, 1760 – May 10, 1849) known simply as Hokusai, was one of Japan’s foremost Ukiyo-e artists. His masterpiece is considered the series of landscape paintings “ Fugaku sanjurokkei ” or “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” as well as his collection of model drawings for his disciples known as “ Hokusai… Read more
13 Experimental Shorts by Tezuka Osamu, Japan’s “Walt Disney”
Tezuka Osamu (1928-1989) is known as “the god of manga” in Japan. He created classics of Japanese animation for children and adults, in virtually every genre, from horror to romance to action. The amount of works Osamu accomplished in his lifetime is mind-boggling, with some estimates as high as 150,000 pages of manga. (You can… Read more
This Motivated Ballerina Isn’t Limited By Her Wheelchair
This time we want to introduce you to Ayananana . A girl who dances in the odorite style, a “genre” that has flourished in the last 10 years, where Vocaloid fans or J-Pop groups make videos dancing to their favorite songs and then share them on sites like NicoNico Douga and YouTube. Ayananana had been… Read more