During the Tenpô era (1830–1843), a period of famine and political upheaval that many historians believe to represent the start of the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, Kido Kôin, a samurai from Chôshû, was born. He was a staunch supporter of the imperial dynasty who made a significant contribution to overthrowing the Tokugawa regime. He …
In Tokugawa Japan, the majority of domains created a graveyard just for their daimyo and their spouses. Chôshû was unique in that it had two, each separated from the other but situated on the fringes of Hagi, the castle town. The first to be built was on the grounds of the Zen Temple Daishôin, which …
Osaka, which is usually pronounced just “Osaka,” is a designated city in Japan’s Kansai prefecture on the island of Honshu. The third most populous city in Japan, after Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama, it serves as the capital and largest city of Osaka Prefecture. It is also the largest part of the Keihanshin Metropolitan …
Daimyô was an informal phrase used to refer to the largest military lords in premodern Japan. It is made up of the Chinese characters dai (great or enormous) and myô (mean-ing myôden or “name land”). Earlier historical eras used the term in a variety of ways, but during the Tokugawa period it took on a …
The largest of Japan’s Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands, Okinawa Island is located in the Kyushu area. Of Japan’s five main islands, this one is the smallest and least populous. The island has a total size of 1,206.98 square kilometers, is around 106 kilometers (66 mi) long, and is typically 11 kilometers (7 mi) wide (466.02 sq …
The term “Chûshingura” refers to the historical occurrences surrounding the activities of 47 rônin, or masterless samurai, of the Akô realm to exact revenge on the daimyo Asano Takumi- no kami Naganori, who had killed their lord. Since then, many times have been told the tale, which occurred between 1701 and 1703. Since then, many …
Arai Hakuseki, a Confucian scholar and official, advised the shoguns Tokugawa Ienobu and Ietsugu in the early eighteenth century and contributed to influencing economic and diplomatic policies. When Ietsugu passed away, Hakuseki resigned from his position as secretary of state and started a career as a prolific writer of Japanese history, political philosophy, military arts, …
At the time, the advanced chief priest instructed a temple carpenter to construct a Western-style guest house. In Yokohama, where a foreign residential neighborhood had been established, the carpenter studied Western architecture for three years. He created a stunning structure by combining Japanese and Western features. It is a nationally significant cultural item that is …
This edifice, which is located near Nishi Hongan-ji and was created by the renowned architect It Chta, who also designed the Tsukiji Hongan-ji temple in Tokyo, now houses a museum and an exposition hall. It was initially built for an insurance firm linked with the Hongan-ji sect 123 years ago, in the midst of the …
The Lake Biwa Canal is a historic Japanese waterway that connects Lake Biwa with Kyoto. The canal, which was built during the Meiji Period, was originally intended to transmit lake water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial reasons, but it also served to move waterborne freight and passenger traffic. Water from the canal powered Japan’s first …