FEATURED
The Disappearance of Meiji: Why it’s Hard to Find Tokyo’s Recent Past
In Tokyo, the recent past is often obscured beneath endless concrete. Take a journey through the city's history to discover why.
Edo era
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FEATURED
BOOK REVIEWS
Stranger in the Shogun’s City is Masterful History and Storytelling
An historian and scholar of Japan uses her knowledge and talent to bring the story of one 19th-century Japanese woman to life.
HISTORY
Abortion In Japan: A History
A look at how abortion in Japan evolved throughout the ages, from a financial necessity to a call for the acknowledgment of…
HISTORY
The Last Samurai Vendetta: The Revenge of Usui Rokuro
In 1873, the newly-minted Meiji government banned the age-old practice of kataki-uchi: blood revenge. Seven years later, the son of a murdered…
HISTORY
The Last Daimyo: The Life of Hayashi Tadataka
Amidst the backdrop of World War II's start, one last survivor of the old Edo period order died. Who was Hayashi Tadataka,…
HISTORY
Kyushu’s Samurai Vaccinators: The Fight Against Smallpox in Late Edo Japan
Faced with an epidemic, a forward-thinking group of doctors and samurai leaders launched a successful vaccination campaign in late Edo Japan.
HISTORY
Stronger than the Wave: Five Southern Tohoku Folk Traditions
The Tohoku region's endured a lot over the past 200 years. How five rich folk traditions capture the durability and diversity of…
FEATURED
Coffee in Japan: A Short, Tasty History
Did you know canned coffee is a Japanese invention? Learn how coffee went from foreign luxury to everyday staple in Japan.