Browse Items (21 total)

Naginatas were often used by foot soldiers to create space on the battlefield. They have several situational advantages over a sword. Their reach was longer, allowing the wielder to keep out of reach of his opponent. The long shaft offered it more…

Japan was in a state of turmoil, struggling in the tension between the traditional Tokugawa samurai and the Emporer. Samurai fought against the new regime's muskets and Gatling guns with their hand-crafted armor, swords, horseback archery, and their…

A characteristic of the Late Heian style is the close attention to detail and can be seen in the delicately gold crafted Japanese screens in the middle ground of the image, and also in the sumptuous fabrics of the aristocrats.

With the…

Tomoe Gozen (1161?–1184?) was one of the few examples of a true female samurai in all of Japanese history. Her main weapon of choice was the Naginata.
 
This picture was drawn by Kikuchi Yosai (1781-1878). As the son of a samurai, he was adopted by…

    Shigisan engi emaki (Legends of Mt. Shigi scroll) shows the respect for monks, myth, and magic depicting the famous story of the miraculous alms bowl that attached itself to the frugal farmer's grain house and brought it back to the…

In response to the large fire in 866 at Kyoto, historically known as the Ōtenmon conspiracy, the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa commissioned a set of emaki in 1177 to please the angry spirit of Tomo no Yoshio, the great counselor of the state, who is…

Founded by Prince Shotoku in 593 C.E., Shitennoji is dedicated to the Shitenno, or the four heavenly kings. Although the current structure is a modern reconstruction, the original building was built at the end of lengthy war that took place in…

During the reign of Emperor Shomu (701-756 C.E), Japan endured a period of great cultural output brought about by state patronage. Throughout his life, Shomu devoted large sums of money for the creation of elaborate Buddhist temples and artifacts…

By Tsuchiya Yasuchika.


Kurokawa Institute for Ancient Cultures, Hyōgo Prefecture.

Bukan, who lived in China during the Tang dynasty, is said to have traveled on the back of a tiger he had tamed, the animal's ferocity having yielded to the…

From the beginning of their rule, the shogunate promoted a culture that combined aspects of samurai culture and the arts of the imperial court, with the balance between the two shifting in accordance with the interests of the individual shogunate and…