The story of Yasuke, the Black Samurai
The legendary tale of Yasuke, who holds the distinction of being the first known foreign samurai in Japan, is a…
The legendary tale of Yasuke, who holds the distinction of being the first known foreign samurai in Japan, is a…
Despite the popularity of Japanese art and the imagination around prestigious tattoo artists who imitate this art in the West,…
Geishas are traditional performers of Japanese arts and music. They specialize in dancing, singing, and playing various instruments, including hand…
Sexuality in Japan was once a very open topic. Contrary to what is generally thought, homosexuality did not occur exclusively…
Akihabara (秋葉原), sometimes abbreviated as Akiba is the central district of Tokyo famous for its electronics stores. In recent years…
The Tsuchinoko (ツ チ ノ コ) is a snake-shaped yōkai. The name is prevalent in western Japan, and in the…
Pachinko is a Japanese game/gambling machine that could be described as a cross between a video slot machine and pinballs….
Japanese literature has a long history. Since the Chinese writing system was imported, a Japanese style of literature began to…
This creature is from Chinese origin, but due to cultural exchange it was transmitted to Japan. Descriptions vary, but usually…
Black-clad figures with their faces covered cross the courtyard, climbing the walls like spiders and pacing the rooftops, swift as…
Within the musical world of Japan there are two acts that have gone down in history as legends and continue…
While the writing system was introduced to Japan relatively late, this is not a detriment to the richness that Japanese…
I’ll talk about the periods Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo (1573-1868). After settling in Kyoto, Nobunaga fought against the most powerful Buddhist…
The Japanese have a belief that objects that are 100 years old take on a life of their own. The…
In Japan there are many groups or bands made up of artists who dance, sing, act and appear on television…