The Weekly Japan Blog

Hachiko the dog In the 1920’s there was an undying love created between a professor and his dog. This loyal dog everyday would scuttle across Tokyo to the train station and wait for his owner to finish lecturing at the Tokyo Imperial University. Hachiko the dog was a beautiful and friendly Japanese Akita with a loyalty that is renowned in Japan. And this is why: sadly, one day the owner Hidesaburo Ueno suddenly died whilst lecturing his class at the university a phenomenal thing happened next. Every day for the next 9 years 9 months and fifteen days the loyal dog would wander down to the station and wait for his owner. It is a beautiful testament to the bond between the humans and dogs. And is respected among the Japanese as a beautiful testament to loyalty. There is a statue outside Shibuya station and Hachiko’s hometown. Both are frequented by the Japanese and tourists alike. If this story touched your heart, why not watch the movie: Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. And if any of y

Matsuo Basho is a poet that has a great level of notoriety among the Japanese people. As a matter of fact, I have not yet met a Japanese person whom does not know of him and many can recite his work. He was a poet in the Edo era a transformative time that would see Japan separated from the outside world due to the period of isolation. Born 1644 and died 1694 in between he left a legacy of poetic work that inspires poets the world over. He is largely heralded as the father of Haiku. A Haiku is a poem that uses 5 syllables on the first line and 7 syllables on the second finishing with 5 lines on the final third line. The Haiku is often structured around nature and/or the human experience. The Matsuo family was of samurai descent, but Basho preferred the finer arts and developed several schools of writing in Japan. In 1793 Basho was deified by the Shinto bureaucracy and for a time criticising his work was literally blasphemy. The Shinto process of deification is part of the ance

The Japanese term onsen refers to a hot spring; hot water that comes from deep under the earth in usually volcanically active areas. The term also extends to bath houses and private hot spas in places such as luxury hotels. The culture of bathing in onsens is recorded as early as the 6 th century in Japan’s cultural history books predating the phenomenon to the date the book was written. So, bathing in onsens is an ancient cultural cornerstone of the Japanese identity. Originally it was often a phenomenon for people of status such as the emperor and the other elite. In the modern era more and more onsens have been developed. It is a cultural phenomenon that much of the populace participate in. The method of bathing is usually to go in completely naked and thus many hot springs offer a male and female spa in separate settings. Although there are many mixed onsens despite some areas having banned the practice. You need not worry if you are self-conscious as previously mentio

The Heian period was a time when the Emperor had dominance but in reality, as a product of the Fujiwara clan intermarrying with the imperial family. During the Heian period most of the power and regency was with the Fujiwara clan. The Heian culture was heavily influenced by China and was a patriarchal society. Nonetheless despite this patriarchy it was a time when Female writers flourished and had a massive effect on literature. In fact, as the Heian period ended in the face of the Samurai warrior class and the new era of Samurai Shogunate began. The literature remained. The Hogen rebellion 1156 resulted in the first Samurai rulers. The Fujiwara clan had begun to instil regents from their clan. The Hogen rebellion was about the Japanese Imperial Succession as much as it was about entrenching the practice of Fujiwara regency. Headed by Taira no Kiyomori of the Taira clan during the late period of the Heian period a bloody civil war known as the Hogen rebellion resulted in establis

The First novel is largely renowned for being wrote by a Japanese woman in the Heian era of Japan. The Heian culture was heavily influenced by China and was a patriarchal society. Nonetheless despite this patriarchy it was a time when Female writers flourished and had a massive effect on literature. In fact, as the Heian period ended in the face of the Samurai warrior class ever-growing domination. The literature remained. The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, she is a Novelist from the Heian period. She is often regarded as the world’s first Novelist. It was written sometime around the year 1000. It was a total of 1100 pages. Murasaki Shikibu was a member of the Heian Elite born into a rich family she was permitted by her father to learn Chinese. It was a trans-formative time period that would see Chinese script no longer being the dominant mode of literature production. The invention of Kana was innovated by a Japanese Monk known as Kukai some years prior to this Female icon

William Adams also known as Miura Anjin to the Japanese. Was a key adviser to Ieyasu during his time as Shogun. A Shogun is a Samurai leader of Japan usually given royal consent to rule by the emperor. Therefore, William Adams a British Naval engineer being adviser to the Shogun and becoming an honorary Samurai is substantial history. William Adams arrived in the year 1600 and by 1605 was at the side of the Shogun. The Shogun found William Adams to be so indispensable that he banned him from returning to England. Until much later life by which time William Adams was settled with a new wife and family.   William Adams helped Japan build its first western style boat and worked as the main interpreter with the west. And had vast estates and farm lands lavished upon him.  William Adams was a protestant, so the Jesuits the Portuguese and other missionaries often would have seen him as a rival. They even offered to go against the Shoguns orders and help William Adams return to jo

Miyamoto Musashi was born in 1584 lived until 1645. Miyamoto Musashi was an infamous swordsman, philosopher, and tactician. And a ronin a samurai with no master. Miyamoto Musashi was an infamous writer and wrote the Book of 5 rings. An exceptionally brilliant book that is very popular in East Asia. It even has application in the modern business world. He also has the status of kensei a sword saint of Japan. Miyamoto Musashi is known as Niten Doraku among Buddhists. His faith can be summed up in the following quote: ‘Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.’

There was an African Samurai named Yasuke. Yasuke arrived in Japan 1579 as a slave. And was a slave to an Italian Jesuit priest named Alessandro Valignano. Yasukes exact origin is unknown other than being from East Africa. Yasuke is the only African man to acquire Samurai status. Yasuke was granted the high status of samurai by Oda Nobunaga. Yasuke became somewhat of a celebrity in Japan for his height and strength. Oda Nobunaga believed not that his skin was black and made him wash thoroughly in front of him. Following that event Oda Nobunaga grew fond of Yasuke and famously announced across Japan that Yasuke had the strength of ten men. Yasuke fought alongside Nobunaga many times during his plight to unify Japan. He was even there fighting valiantly trying to defend Nobunaga in his last moments prior to seppuku. Akechi Mitsuhide forced Nobunaga to commit seppuku ritual samurai suicide. As, for Yasuke he declared he was not Japanese and so was not permitted to commit sep