Early on in the history of Japan, a unique and complex network was created to ensure the speedy delivery of letters and items. This system was made possible by using fast messengers, called hikyaku. These fast-moving couriers became a vital part of Japanese society. The origins of hikyaku can be traced back to the Heian …
According to Akira Kurosawa’s perspective, “the Japanese see self-assertion as immoral, and self-sacrifice is the sensible course to take in Life.” This is because one must serve their master, the shogun, or the emperor. However, this hypothesis is challenged in Seven Samurai, a classic film that inspired Roger Ebert to write: “Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai …
Seven Samurai and the Birth of the Samurai Movie: Tale of Ronin’s Origins Read More »
Fox spirits like kitsune are found across many cultures, but the tanuki is a spirit unique to Japan. Tanuki yokai are based on a real animal the same way that kitsune are based on foxes. Traditionally, it is believed that all tanuki have supernatural powers that they use for mischief, trickery, and entertainment. In real …
Tanuki: Japan’s Cheerful Shapeshifting Trickster Spirit Read More »
Itako are blind women who serve as spirit mediums. In ancient Japan, blindness was once considered a sign of spiritual powers, so only young girls who were born blind could become itako. Traditionally, an itako’s training began around the ages of 11 to 13 years old. The girls would endure strict ascetic training and ritualized …
Shugendo is a religion that originates between the late Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura (1185–1333) periods. This ancient ascetic tradition flourished at a time when Buddhism was being imported from China. Combined with the appreciation for art in the Japanese imperial court, the arrival of organized religion and literacy allowed Shugendo to make its mark. The …
Shugendo: Japan’s Ancient Tradition of Mountain Asceticism Read More »
The Edo Period in Japan was a time of great religious and social change. The Tokugawa Bakufu, the military government established by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603, brought an end to the strife of the Warring States period and ushered in a new era of peace and stability. This period saw the continued practice of Shintoism, …
In Tale of Ronin, players will go back in time to the Edo period of feudal Japan and take on the role of a ronin. These warriors are samurai who lost their masters and did not take their own lives afterward. They are now forced to navigate a complex and treacherous world without a lord …
The Shame of Being Ronin: Shame as a Game Resource Read More »
Across pop culture, the samurai has been immortalized as a paragon of honor and loyalty, living by the code of Bushido and acting to protect the unfortunate. However, the truth is more complicated than that. Japanese history is full of samurai who behaved less than honorably by modern standards. For example, the Battle of Sekigahara, …
An oni is a type of yokai, supernatural creatures, monsters, and spirits, found in Japanese mythology. While many other entities that fall under the yokai umbrella can be benevolent, oni are almost always malicious and violent. Typical folkloric depictions show oni as having horns, red or blue skin, sharp claws, and wearing tiger skins. They …
Nisio Isin, stylized NisiOisiN, is an incredibly prolific Japanese writer whose works are designed to play with audience expectations and feelings. He’s written across a wide variety of genres and mediums, including samurai drama. As one might expect, his take on the genre ended up equal parts bizarre and compelling. The 12-volume-long series Katanagatari, released …
Katanagatari: NisiOisiN’s Chaotic Alternate Early Edo Period Read More »