The Beginning of the End of Feudalism in Japan

On July 8, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy, encroached on Edo Harbor […]

Japan’s Dan-no-Ura and Ōnin Battles

The Genpei War (1180–1185) was the culmination of a decades-long conflict between the two dominant warrior clans, […]

The Samurai, the Daimyō and the Shōgun

The samurai is today one of the most iconic figures of Japan. The kanji 侍, which reads […]

The Ninja and the Kunoichi

Ninja, Shinobi-no-mono or just Shinobi were the Japan’s secret warriors, who appeared during the Sengoku Jidai […]

The Puppeteers of the Japanese Court

The image above is an old banknote of 200 yen of the Bank of Japan, portraying Fujiwara-no-[…]

The Legacies of Korea and China to Japan

The images above are sections of the Great Wall of China. The wall relates to a series of fortifications made of stone […]

The Women Who Sat on the Chrysanthemum Throne

There were eight female imperial reigns (six female emperors including two who reigned […]

The Foundation of the Country of Japan

On the eleventh day of the second month of the year Kanoto-Tori (660 BCE), Iwarebiko […]

Japan’s Earthly Rulers

Accompanied by a team of trusted kami-retainers, Ninigi-no-Mikoto leaves Takama no Hara for good. The new Ruler chooses […]

Japan’s Sacred Imperial Regalia

The legendary Three Sacred Imperial Regalia of Japan consist of the sword, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the mirror, Yata no Kagami, […]