Category Archives: Japanese history

The Infamous Samurai Sword

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What’s faster than a speeding bullet? Well, what’s faster than a speeding BB? Yes! The Japanese sword and this incredible artist. Take a look at this video and see how astounding this is:                Real Samurai Sword Technique – by Isao Machii – Japanese Katana Kenjutsu The Japanese sword is quite frankly—perfection. And it was in the Heian period that it became so. Japanese iron ore is different than everywhere else. The steel and the method of forging combined… Continue reading →

More Pillow Books

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Murasaki at her desk shown in a 19th century ukiyo-e.   Pillow books in Heian Japan were really diaries called nikki. Donald Keene in Seeds in the Heart devotes an entire chapter to “Heian Diarists.”  Why?  Because, they were  “personal rather than public and the best-known examples…”  were written by Heian  women of the court. The earliest Heian diary cited is Travel Diary of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law (nittō guhō junreikōki). Written by the Tendai priest Ennin who lived early… Continue reading →

Colors of Our Sleeves

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While the Heian times of Japan were glamorous, they maintained strict rules of dressing.  Your rank and status determined each garment’s fabric. In the winter garments were quilted, and in the summer, stiffened silk kept the clothing away from the body. So much  importance was given to the way people dressed, it could make or break your career and/or your reputation. Color combinations, set by the season or festivals, held a particularly important aspect of dressing. Colors were also restricted by rank.  For example only… Continue reading →

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