Japanese history: Did you mean...?

In Japanese folklore the Shichifukujin are the Seven Lucky Gods who may also be known as the Seven Gods of Happiness or the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. The seven gods are in fact of diverse origin as some are originally from Buddhism, some...

Map of the Japanese Empire, 1895. It was issued shortly after the 1895 Japanese invasion of Taiwan and is consequently one of the first Japanese maps to include Taiwan and Korea as provinces of Imperial Japan. Geographicus Rare Antique Maps...

The samurai (also bushi) were a class of warriors that arose in the 10th century in Japan and which performed military service until the 19th century. Elite and highly-trained soldiers adept at using both the bow and sword, the samurai were...

This is a selection from the "Gogatsu tsuitachi kyo" compilation, vol. 39, and it details the rules and regulations for monks in ancient Japan. It dates from 740 CE, which corresponds to the Nara period in Japanese history. It was made from...

The essential implements of the chanoyu or Japanese tea ceremony.

This ancient Japanese incense burner has a lion-shaped weight at the end of its handle. It was cast in bronze and dates from the 8th century CE during the Nara period in Japanese history. (Tokyo National Museum)

Japanese troops enter French Indochina and head towards Lang Son in what is northern Vietnam today. During 1940, Japan began to encroach on French Indochina so that they could cut off the supplies that were routed through the area and into...

Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725) was a Japanese playwright who wrote for both the puppet theatre and kabuki. He is regarded as Japan’s greatest dramatist. Apart from their aesthetic appeal, his plays are of value because they provide an insight...

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598 CE) was a Japanese military leader who, along with his predecessor Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582 CE) and his successor Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616 CE), is credited with unifying Japan in the 16th century CE. Hideyoshi...

The 'Tale of the Genji' or Genji Monogatari, written in the 11th century CE by Murasaki Shikibu, a court lady, is Japan's oldest novel and possibly the first novel in world literature. The classic of Japanese literature, the work describes...