Feudal Japan: Did you mean...?

Shinto means 'way of the gods' and it is the oldest religion in Japan. Shinto's key concepts include purity, harmony, family respect, and subordination of the individual before the group. The faith has no founder or prophets and there...

Ennin (c. 793-864 CE, posthumous title: Jikaku Daishi) was a Japanese Buddhist monk of the Tendai sect who studied Buddhism at length in China and brought back knowledge of esoteric rituals, sutras, and relics. On his return, he published...

Heiankyo (Kyoto), located in the centre of Honshu island, was the capital of Japan for over a thousand years and gave its name to one of the golden ages of Japanese history, the Heian Period (794-1185 CE). Built according to Chinese...

A map of Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600 CE).

This map depicts all major Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines of Japan around the year 1200 CE. Notice that many renowned temples (such as the famous Kinkaju-ji) have not yet been built...

A map illustrating possible sea routes used for political and cultural embassies from ancient Japan to Tang Dynasty China.

Kinkakuji Temple or the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" was constructed in the 1390s CE as the retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (r. 1368–1394 CE). It is comprised of a three-story pavilion — covered...

Ninja (aka Shinobi) were the specialised assassins, saboteurs, and secret agents of medieval Japanese warfare who were highly-trained proponents of the martial arts, especially what later became known as ninjutsu or 'the art of the ninja'...

Kamikaze or Tokkō (short for Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, "Special Attack Units") was Japan's organized campaign of deliberate suicide attacks during the final phase of the Second...

The Seven Lucky Gods of Japan (Shichifukujin) are a group of deities associated with prosperity, happiness, and longevity. Blending Shinto, Buddhist, Taoist, and even Hindu influences, they...