Sharing favorite finds from across the archipelago
When I picked up last month's Review selection (K is for Kabuki), I also grabbed another book called Real Samurai. This nonfiction book is written by Stephen Turnbull, a noted military historian. I haven't reviewed many samurai books so I thought I'd take it home and give it a go. Confession time - I find... Continue Reading →
There's a new museum in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, just a block from the well-known Robot Restaurant. The Tokyo Samurai Museum only opened in late 2015, but already, it has managed to attract a small crowd of international visitors. The Samurai Museum is the creation of a private collector who wanted to share his passion for samurai... Continue Reading →
Most people rave about Japan's summer festivals (and admittedly, there are some spectacular ones) but being rather partial to the cooler weather, I am a fan of the nation's autumn festivals. Both Kumamoto and Okinawa had some exciting ones (massive tug of war, anyone?) but my favorite will always be the Karatsu Kunchi in Karatsu,... Continue Reading →
Want to get a feel for Japan's feudal past? Wander any one of the samurai quarters scattered about the country to get a taste of how the warrior class lived. While much of Japan's medieval architecture is gone, several cities and towns still manage to preserve their historic neighborhoods. Below are some of my top... Continue Reading →
It has been a month of adventure coupled with a month of sitting around twiddling our thumbs in various hotel rooms on either end of our cross-country move. But don't worry - I won't make this month's photo anything hotel-related. 🙂 I was so SO very excited to see the garden at the Adachi Museum... Continue Reading →
We're coming to the meat of Golden Week right now, with Greenery Day (Midori-no-Hi) drawing to a close today. Tomorrow, May 5th, marks Children's Day, one of the more visually exciting holidays of this period. For many years, Children's Day exclusively honored the male offspring of a family. After all, girls already have their own... Continue Reading →
I am admittedly not a fan of bus tours. I usually find them too impersonal and too tied into the mainstream itineraries. But when I saw an ad for a ninja and samurai themed bus tour in my favorite Tokyo neighborhood of Asakusa, I knew we had to give it a whirl on our trip... Continue Reading →
For the first time in my over six years in Japan, I finally made it up to the San-in Coast. Don't laugh - it's harder than it sounds. Cities like Hagi and Matsue, up on the northern side of Honshu, are notoriously difficult for most people living in Japan to reach. From here in Kyushu,... Continue Reading →
Chances are you've come across a mon (or kamon) during your time in Japan, even if you weren't aware of it at the time. Mon are symbols used to identify different families of clans in Japan, similar to the coat of arms of European aristocracy. From the chrysanthemum crest of the royal family to the Tokugawa's hollyhock,... Continue Reading →
Four hundred years ago, the lord of the Sendai domain - one-eyed samurai Date Masamune - was looking for a way to expand his trade options. Though the policy towards outside religions was about to change dramatically under the Tokugawa shoguns, Date planned to open trade with Catholic Spain (and subsequently, Mexico) and further build up... Continue Reading →
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