Witness. Disaster in Japan (2011)

WOW. Just wow. Amazing, shocking and sad documentary produced by National Geographic. Forty-five minutes of unbelievable earthquake and tsunami footage.

YouTube - Witness. Disaster in Japan (2011)

Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration

Sakamoto Ryoma is big in Japan right now with the current Taiga drama Ryomaden. But even before this drama, Ryoma was probably the most famous and popular historical figure in Japanese history. Why is that and is his popularity deserved? Recently I read Marius Jansen's book Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration. Jansen, who passed away in 2000, was a professor of Japanese History at Princeton University and author of more than twenty books of which this book he is probably best known for. First published in 1961, this book is still considered one of the excellent sources regarding the Bakumatsu period. In Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration, Jansen describes the societal transformation from the late Tokugawa Bakufu through the restoration of power to the Emperor. Jansen focused mainly on Sakamoto Ryoma but also devoted much of the book to Nakaoka Shintaro, another important figure in Meiji Restoration or Bakumatsu period. The title of the book really could have been Sakamoto Ryoma, Nakaoka Shintaro and the Meiji Restoration. Jansen begins by covering the political and economic situation of Japan in general and then moves to the political and economic issues in the domain of Tosa, Ryoma's home. Finally Jansen narrows the focus of the book further to that of the actions of the shishi and specifically of Ryoma and Shintaro. The shishi were the samurai, often ronin, who worked and fought for the overthrow of the Tokugawa Bakufu and the restoration of the emperor. One of the aspects I like about this book is how Jansen wrote it in a manner that could be easily understood by readers who may not be well-versed in Japanese history or the Bakumatsu period.

I am not going to detail the events of the Bakumatsu that Jansen covers in the book since these events are already so well known. I will highlight some interesting points I took from the book and use the book to try and answer some questions about Sakamoto Ryoma. It would be an understatement to say that Sakamoto Ryoma is one of the key figures in the Meiji Restoration period. Sakamoto Ryoma is a political hero in Japan and even a celebrity star. You can find his name and face everywhere. His grave site in Kyoto is a popular destination and although Nakaoka Shintaro is also buried there, visitors often leave with Sakamoto Ryoma merchandise which they purchase nearby. I am pretty sure there are not too many people buying Nakaoka Shintaro merchandise. This raises questions such as why is the popularity of Ryoma so high and is it deserved? How much of a contribution did Ryoma actually make to the events of the time?And how original were some of Ryoma's important ideas?

Jansen describes Ryoma's development from the early years of the Bakumatsu period when loyalist parties were being formed. He points out that both Ryoma and Shintaro were not so much innovators as they were followers of the opinion of their peers during this early time. They were literate but by no measure were they intellectuals. Even a few years later, a friend of Ryoma's, Hirai Shujiro, warned his sister against getting involved in Ryoma's plans: "Although Ryoma is a splendid fellow, he doesn't have any learning, and therefore he sometimes makes serious mistakes" (p80). One of the best examples of Ryoma's lack of political knowledge and education in his early years was his famous meeting with a group of samurai from Mito domain who had traveled to Tosa to win support for their loyalist cause. Ryoma and several others traveled to the Tosa border to meet with the Mito group. The diary of one of the Mito messengers revealed the lack of political awareness of the the Tosa group in 1858. "The two outsiders [Tosa men]," he wrote, "don't know a thing about their han's affairs; Ryoma doesn't even know the names of any of the ministers" (p89-90). Clearly Ryoma was not one of the most brilliant people around in his younger years. He was not highly educated and his writing ability was poor. Jansen describes Ryoma's letters to his sister as awkward and his vocabulary was limited. He certainly was not a person developing creative philosophies or ideas. So how did Ryoma come to be such an important figure?

In 1862, Ryoma fled Tosa. But the following months showed how little he realized the complexity of the problems facing Japan. Following the logic of a simple swordsman, Ryoma concluded that assassinating the "cowardly leaders" was the best course of action and his target would be Katsu Kaishu, a leading Tokugawa official. It is at this point according to Jansen that we see for the first time Ryoma's ability to adapt and learn. When confronted with evidence that he was wrong about Kaishu, Ryoma reconsiders his goal and decides to become Kaishu's disciple. Jansen states that this event showed Ryoma's growing sophistication and maturity (p153). Jansen also points out that one of the most important aspects of Ryoma's development was the fact that his duties for Kaishu brought him into contact with some of the most enlightened Tokugawa councillors where he first heard the possibility of a peaceful transfer of power from shogun to emperor. Already by 1863 as Ryoma continued to develop, Kaishu began entrusting him with more responsible and difficult missions (p169). Clearly Kaishu saw something in Ryoma to trust him with these types of assignments. Although Ryoma was not well educated, Kaishu's trust in him showed that Ryoma had other strong qualities. Ryoma's qualities lay in the fact that he was skilled at developing relationships which indicates that he probably had a high level of emotional intelligence.

Under Kaishu, Ryoma continued to refine and moderate his own political thinking. However, by late 1864 Kaishu was dismissed from his post and Ryoma was now back on his own as a ronin. But this now eventually brings Ryoma under the protection of Satsuma and the beginning of his important relationship with that domain. And as we all know, Ryoma may be most famous for his work in bringing about the Satsuma-Choshu alliance. The Sat-Cho alliance is certainly one of the most important events during the Bakumatsu period so the question is really how important was Ryoma in bringing this together? The fact is Ryoma was not solely responsible for bringing Satsuma and Choshu together. Although a quick scan of the internet for Sakamoto Ryoma would often tell you that he was. Nakaoka Shintaro joined the Choshu loyalists during the same time that Ryoma was working with Satsuma and he worked to convince the Choshu leaders of the importance of an alliance (p186). In addition, other Tosa Loyalists worked towards this alliance by working closely with the Kyoto nobles who had been expelled from the capital. I don't think this should take away from what Ryoma was able to accomplish or the significance of his role. However, at the very least Shintaro should be given as much credit for his work as Ryoma. In some ways, Shintaro's assignment was even more difficult than Ryoma's. Shintaro had to convince a Choshu domain whose bitterness and hatred towards Satsuma was strong due to Satsuma previously siding with the Bakufu in expelling Choshu forces from Kyoto.

Ryoma is of course known for more than just his work in bringing about the Sat-Cho alliance. He is also known for his efforts in developing a modern navy and the Kaientai, the naval auxiliary unit that also would later become one of the first modern corporations in Japan. I am not going to get into those accomplishments of Ryoma but rather his development of the Eight-Point Plan for which he his also famous for. Jansen states that Ryoma's ideas formed during his years of service with Kaishu where he was exposed to the idea that the shogun should resign in favor of the emperor. He had also become familiar with the idea of a conciliar form of government from bakufu officials such as Okubo Ichio who had developed ideas about a council of lords (p294). Similar ideas were also proposed by others such as lord Matsudaira Shungaku. Ryoma's time in Nagasaki also exposed him to many more ideas regarding new forms of government. It was in Nagasaki where Ryoma met Nagaoka Kenkichi who some believe was the person who first wrote the plan for a new government which came to be known as Sakamoto's Eight-Point Plan. However, Jansen states that regardless of who it was who worded the Eight-Point Plan, there can be no doubt that it represented ideas toward which Ryoma had been reaching for several years (p295).

So why is Ryoma so much more famous than Nakaoka Shintaro and the many other important players involved in the Meiji Restoration? Jansen provides some excellent examples for why Ryoma became so popular. Following the assassination of Ryoma and Shintaro, Jansen states "Restoration leaders lamented the loss of both shishi. Iwakura particularly regretted the death of Nakaoka, but on the whole Sakamoto Ryoma's warm and engaging personality won him more eulogies, as they had won him more friends" (p345). "Nakaoka was a sage," Tanaka Koken wrote, "Sakamoto a real hero." As Jansen states, "Ryoma's romantic career and bouyant, self-confidant bearing and correspondence lent themselves well to the image the nation wished to hold of its Restoration shishi." Another interesting point that Jansen mentions regarding Ryoma's popularity is his lack of involvement with the Meiji government. Ryoma may not have wanted to participate in the new government even had he not been assassinated. But the fact that he was never a part of the new Meiji government meant that his image would never be tainted by the negative politics and issues of the new government.

So does Ryoma's fame exceed his actual contributions during the restoration period? Of course it does. His likeness is everywhere in Japan including on toilet paper and candy wrappers. He is probably the most famous and popular figure in Japanese history. He is far more famous and popular than other Bakumatsu figures, especially Nakaoka Shintaro, even though Shintaro and others probably contributed as much to the restoration as Sakamoto Ryoma did.

Was Ryoma the originator of the major ideas that he is known for such as the Eight-Point Plan? I think it's safe to say that no, he was not an originator of the ideas he is known for but rather modified and refined these ideas. Marius Jansen says as much when he states that Kenkichi may have actually conceived of the idea of the Eight-Point Plan.

The reality of Ryoma in Japan is overshadowed by his myth and dramatic storytelling. Shiba Ryotaro's eight volume novel Ryoma ga Yuku is probably the biggest reason for Ryoma's fame and popularity in post-war Japan. Although Ryotaro's work is fiction and he took much poetic license when he wrote it, the novel still contributed greatly to Ryoma's legend and popularity. But hold on all you Ryoma fans out there. Don't come banging down my door just yet. The fact is Ryoma WAS one of the most significant figures during the Bakumatsu. His personality, his character, his ability to develop relationships and create alliances allowed him to do what few others could have done. Maybe the Sat-Cho alliance would have materialized eventually without Ryoma's efforts. But without his work, it would probably not have happened when it did. And maybe Ryoma did not originate the Eight-Point Plan. But as Jansen described, Ryoma modified it and expanded on it and he used his abilities to convince others of the viability of this plan including his lord Yamauchi Yodo who took the plan to the shogun and convinced him to resign his powers to the emperor. He was probably the only one who could have done that at that time and had he not, the end of the Bakumatsu likely would have been far bloodier. I think you will find many examples throughout history of famous historical figures who may not have developed many of the original ideas they are known for but they took those ideas and improved on them or used their charisma and skill to carry them through. Sakamoto Ryoma is no different. Marius Jansen did an excellent job showing how Ryoma grew and developed from a young, ignorant samurai from Tosa to a person respected by some of the most powerful figures of the Bakumatsu period. That by itself demonstrates how significant a person Sakamoto Ryoma was.

This is cool

This couple won a contest to have a samurai wedding at a castle. The groom played the part of a feudal lord. The castle is Matsue castle (chidori-jo) in Shimane prefecture. I would have loved to have a wedding ceremony like this but I don't think my wife would have approved.

Japan: Robot Nation

Below is an interesting program from current.com about Japan's rapidly aging and shrinking population. I found this program through Bartman905's blog "Konnichiwa". The program is 25 minutes long but it is very interesting. It doesn't just cover the use of robots in Japan but touches on the aspect of Japan's reluctance to increase foreign immigration as way to compensate for the shrinking population.

Battle of Sekigahara video

I watched this History channel show earlier this year. It's about Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Battle of Sekigahara. The show was a little cheesy because of the English-speaking actors but it was not bad. It is a good overview of this most famous and important battle in Japanese history. This Youtube video is from the episode and is the final scene of the Battle. Not bad.

Tenchijin episode 32

Tenchijin is rapidly coming closer to its culmination. The young Hideyori has been born and the Toyotomi heir crisis is now coming to boil with Mitsunari confronting Hidetsugu with the charge that he is suspected of treason. Mitsunari's evil smile at the end of the episode after Hidetsugu accused him of causing his downfall shows that Mitsunari is now rapidly sliding into his manipulative and destructive ways and making many enemies.

Earlier, Mitsunari was confronted by several of the other great Daimyo, mainly Tokugawa Ieyasu and Mori Terumoto, who have accused Mitsunari of manipulating Hideyoshi and causing great hardship for the daimyo. Below is Ieyasu confronting Mitsunari. Ultimately it is Ieyasu versus Mitsunari in the epic confrontation at Sekigahara.

One of the enemies that Mitsunari makes that he will later truly regret is one of Hideyoshi's adopted sons, Hidetoshi. Mitsunari has Hidetoshi removed from any influence or power in the Toyotomi family by forcing the Mori clan to adopt Hidetoshi. This causes Hidetoshi great anger and hatred towards Mitsunari and he will eventually have his revenge against Mitsunari at the battle of Sekigahara. Below is Hidetoshi begging the Uesugi for assistance with his plight.

Female history geeks

Samurai and Sengoku warlords have become popular again in Japan. Check out the post at cartoonleap.com that describes the phenomenon.

For some reason the samurai warlords from over 400 years ago are especially popular among women in Japan. These women are called rekijo or female history geeks. Maybe it is due to the samurai period dramas on TV such as the NHK Taiaga dramas. Maybe the women are more enamored with the actors that play the warlords.

Tenchijin & the "real" Uesugi Samurai Naoe Kanetsugu (updated)

The current NHK Taiga drama Tenchijin follows the life of Uesugi samurai Naoe Kanetsugu. The drama depicts Kanetsugu as a warm and emotional samurai. Not necesarily as a brutal, take no prisoners samurai vassal of the Uesugi Lord Uesugi Kagekatsu.

However, in the book "The Maker of Modern Japan" it describes an incident about Kanetsugu as just that, a brutal Uesugi samurai willing to do anything for his lord and the Uesugi clan. After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi but prior to the defining battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu learned that his rival Uesugi Kagekatsu was busy building a new castle at Kazashigahara. Ieyasu questioned Kagekatsu but received only a response from Kagekatsu's chief retainer Naoe Kanetsugu. Kanetsugu simply replied that these were normal repairs and nothing more. In response, Ieyasu sent an envoy to persuade Uesugi to visit him, but Naoe regarded the envoy as a spy, and recommended Uesugi to have him put to death. But the envoy somehow got wind of this and made his escape. This incident was one of the events that led to the final defining battle for power in Japan, Sekigahara, which led to Ieyasu becoming the supreme ruler, the Shogun.

The book reveals more about Ieyasu's style and about Naoe Kanestugu following Sekigahara. Ieyasu considered it politic not to be too drastic in his penalties to those who fought against him at Sekigahara. This is revealed in his reply to his chief retainer Honda Masanobu's suggestion that Naoe Kanetsugu deserved to be punished (death), since he had been one of the chief instigators of the rebellion. "No doubt," replied Ieyasu, "and not only he, but the chief councillors of Mori and Shimazu and the others, because they all pushed their lords at Ishida's instigation (Ishida Mitsunari). And if I punish Naoe the others will get upset and run away to their provinces, and we may have all the trouble over again."

The real Naoe Kanetsugu, at least the one portrayed in the book, does not really match the one in the NHK drama Tenchijin. My feeling is the book portrays him a little more accurately. None the less, the drama Tenchijin is one of my favorite Taiga dramas I have seen. I think the characters for Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Uesugi Kagekatsu are really good. I am interested to see how Tenchijin shows how Naoe 'instigates' the rebellion of Sekigahara.

Hattori Hanzo

Have you heard of Hattori Hanzo. Many people have through the movie "Kill Bill". He was the greatest samurai sword maker in Japan who made the sword for Beatrix in order for her to seek her revenge against Bill and his clan of assassins.

However, the real Hattori Hanzo actually comes from the late Sengoku period in Japan (1467-1600), the Period of Warring States. Hanzo was a very loyal samurai retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the book about Oda Nobunaga (Japonius Tyrannus), it was even reported that Hanzo may have practiced the arts of the Ninja. It is clear that Ieyasu did use Hattori Hanzo for special assignments such as reconnaissance and espionage during the turbulent and violent last days of the Sengoku period.

For those who have also been watching the NHK taiga drama Tenchijin, they have already heard of Hattori Hanzo as he has been mentioned in some of the episodes.

Hanzo earned the nickname Oni-Hanzo (Devil Hanzo) because of his fearless tactics he displayed in action. Hanzo died in 1596 supposedly of natural causes. However, rumor has it that Hanzo was killed by a ninja named Fuma Kotaro in battle.

Hanzo was succeeded by his 18 year old son. His son and his men would later act as guards of Edo Castle. Today, the legacy of Hattori Hanzo and his decendents remain. One of the gates of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the former Edo Castle of the Shogun, is named Hanzo's Gate. Also, the Hanzomon subway line which runs from central Tokyo is named after the gate and therefore named after Hattori Hanzo.

Hanzo's grave is located at the Sainen-ji temple in Shinjuku. The life of Hattori Hanzo is depicted in the fictional manga series Path of the Assassin as well as the video game series Samurai Warriors where he is depicted as a ninja as well as many other movies, manga and TV shows.

より大きな地図で 伊賀流忍者 を表示

Tenchijin: The Honnoji Incident

I just finished watching the Tenchijin Honnoji Incident episode. It was pretty intense. This taiga drama is the most intense and graphic of any I have seen, and that includes Shinsengumi which could have been much more violent but wasn't. I think the battle imagery in Tenchijin is pretty cool. The computer generated overview of the battles are pretty cool.

Nobunaga met his fate at the Honnoji temple. Too bad, I like Nobunaga. It would have been great to see him crush all his opponents and unify the country. I also like the actor that played the part of Oda Nobunaga. Interesting that the show implied that Nobunaga had a chance to ecape but chose to stay. My guess is that in reality, Mitsuhide would have had Honnoji completely surrounded preventing any chance of escape.

I liked the dream sequence where Uesugi Kenchin visits Nobunaga as Nobunaga is about to die where he tells him he does not have what it takes to be a good leader. Nobunaga does not have "tenchijin". I don't recall what tenchijin means. Can someone tell me again what is meant by "tenchijin?"

I especially liked how Nobunaga visited Mitsuhide as Mitsuhide was dying and told him the same. I guess it means that both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu do have tenchijin. The show was accurate in regards to how Mitsuhide died. They showed Mitsuhide being killed by a group of peasants. According the book Japonius Tyrannus, after Hideyoshi's army crushed Mitsuhide's army after the Honnoji Incident, Mitsuhide tried to escape but was attacked and killed by local peasants. Later, Hideyoshi collected Mitsuhide's head and presented it to Nobunaga at his grave.

Japanese wary of new jury system

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, many Japanese are nervous about the new jury system, saibanin, being implemented in Japan.

Some are worried about giving regular citizens equal say with experienced judges. Many just don't want to participate. But unless you are over 70, a student, or caring for someone who his ill, you will probably have to serve.

The system is similar to those in Germany and France. Six jurors will join three judges on each panel. They will deliberate in the same room with the judges and their vote will carry the same weight as the judges. What surprises me is that they will also be able to cross-examine witnesses.

I wonder how the judges feel about now having to share their position with regular citizens who will have the same vote as the judges? What gives the non-judge jurors even more influence is that the verdicts will be based not on a unanimous vote but solely on a majority vote to determine sentences.

Since the majority of citizens do not want to participate and in order to help educate the public, the courts have been running hundreds of mock trials and other public events.

In spite of the publics trepidation in serving on juries, interest has been high according to the article. T.V. networks have been airing dramas that involve such trials.

They apparently have also been running Hollywood movies such as "A Few Good Men," "Runaway Jury" and "A Time to Kill."

The Murder of Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga, the great Japanese warlord of the late Sengoku period, was assassinated by one of his vassal generals. That traitor was Akechi Mitsuhide. There are many theories as to why Mitsuhide turned on his lord. Some have said it was to eliminate an evil dictator, others say that Nobunaga repeatedly insulted Mitsuhide while others have theorized it was only due to Mitsuhide's own greed for power and his own desire to rule Nobunaga's state, the tenka, himself. My guess it is probably the latter, especially following the assassination, Mitsuhide worked to quickly consolidate his power.

Nobunaga had ordered several generals to lead their armies west to assist Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was fighting the powerful Mori clan. Mitsuhide was one of those generals. However, Mitsuhide defied Nobunaga's order and instead marched his army of 13,000 to Kyoto where Nobunaga was staying at the Buddhist temple Honnoji where he often stayed while visiting Kyoto. Nobunaga was killed by Mitsuhide's army at the temple called Honnoji and the assassination has since then been called the Honnoji incident. Mitsuhide's army then hunted down and killed Nobunaga's heir, his oldest son, Nobutada.

However, Mitsuhide would not have much time to consolidate his power. While other Nobunaga vassals hesitated and Tokugawa Ieyasu retreated to his domain for safety, Toyotomi Hideyoshi quickly and decisively marched his army from the west where he had been fighting the Mori clan. The two armies of Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide met at the Battle of Yamazaki where Hideyoshi crushed Mitsuhide's forces. Hideyoshi collected the head of Mitsuhide and presented it at the grave of Nobunaga.

In episode 17 of the NHK drama Tenchijin, the groundwork is laid for Nobunaga's assassination. At the end of the episode, Nobunaga is shown gravely insulting Mitsuhide in front of his other generals. Clearly the NHK drama is reinforcing the theory that Nobunaga insulted Mitsuhide.

What is very, very interesting is the last scene of episode 17 where Mitsuhide is having tea with Tokugawa Ieyasu following the incident with Nobunaga. Mitsuhide clearly implies that "something" should be done with Nobunaga. What is so interesting is that the drama makes it appear that Ieyasu knows exactly what Mitsuhide is referring to but he says nothing. In the several books I have read about this time period, including Japonius Tyrannus, there is no reference to Ieyasu meeting with Mitsuhide shortly before the assassination nor any evidence that Ieyasu knew anything about Mitsuhide's plans. Just an interesting observation about the show.

Japanese Bra Counts Down to Wedding Day

May 13 from MSNBC: A Japanese bra maker has created a new garment that runs a digital timer, literally putting women seeking spouses on the clock.

I think this will have completely the opposite effect. Once a Japanese guy sees this bra, he will probably run the other way.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Period of Warring States

Warfare was a major part of Japanese history from ancient times until 1945. But there is one time period that was dominated by warfare like no other time in Japanese history. This period was called the Sengoku Jidai or Period of Warring States, a term taken from Chinese histories. This period of almost continuous warfare was between 1467 and 1600. The difference however was that the Japanese wars were between clans and families rather then between states as in China.

The warring states period in Japan began with the bloody Onin War from 1467 to 1476. The Onin War ushered in a century and a half of conflict. Many clan leaders during this period, called daimyo, made great names for themselves in history such as Takeda Shingen, Date Masamune and Uesugi Kenshin (currently being portrayed in an NHK drama called Tenchijin).

These wars were also a time of great development in samurai warfare. Only the strongest survived which required fielding huge armies armed with the best weapons. The most successful daimyo used large numbers of ashigaru (footsoldiers), whom they trained to use bows, long spears, and the newly introduced firearms such as the European arquebuses which were introduced in 1543.

Date Masamune (1566-1636) was one of the greatest daimyo of the Period of Warring States. In spite of having only one eye he triumphed in numerous battles in Northern Japan, and only yielded to the overwhelming force mounted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Masamune is known for his crescent-moon crest atop his battle helmet.




Date Masamune

The struggles for power between the most powerful daimyo would eventually give rise to one winner. Oda Nobunaga (1534-82) was the first daimyo to move towards total control of all Japan when he occupied Kyoto and abolished the Ashikaga shogunate in 1568. However, Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582 and it was one of Nobunaga's samurai generals who ultimately unified Japan under one rule. That general was Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi is unique because he rose through the ranks from the lowly ashigaru.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Hideyoshi obtained power through both loyalty to Nobunaga and opportunism. In a series of political moves and battles, Hideyoshi asserted his authority. Some daimyo became his allies after failing to beat him in battle. The future shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was defeated in battle in 1584 by Hideyoshi, is the best example of this accommodative approach.

The end of the Period of Warring States was near after the passing of Hideyoshi in 1598. Hideyoshi's son Hideyori became the nominal ruler of Japan but he was only five years old. Soon two rival factions emerged: those loyal to Hideyori and those aligned with Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) was the final victor in the Period of Warring States. Ieyasu and his rivals met in the battle at Sekigahara in 1600. Ieyasu was victorious in one of the most decisive battles in Japanese history. Ieyasu claimed Minamoto decent which allowed him to pronounce himself Shogun. The Tokugawa Shoguns would rule Japan for another two and a half centuries.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

The mausoleum and shrine for Tokugawa Ieyasu is located at Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo.

The Way of the Samurai

I found this video on a site called Joost which I had never heard of before. The video is called "The Way of the Samurai" and it appears to be a video from PBS. I have not had a chance to watch it yet but it looks interesting.

Update 4/9/09: Apparently this video and any others from Joost are not viewable in Japan. Sorry about that. When I was in Japan I had this same issue with the popular site Hulu.com which has full length TV shows but is not viewable in Japan as well.

When the Last Sword is Drawn

This movie, by Yojiro Takita, is set at the end of the Edo period in Kyoto, and revolves around Kanichiro Yoshimura, a lone samurai whose sole purpose in life was to make enough money for his family so he joined the Shinsengumi.

His fellow samurai warriors initially viewed him as dishonorable for his mercenary, seemingly greedy approach, especially Saito, another member of the Shinsengumi, guardians of the Imperial capital and the shogun's last samurai corps.

It is here that Kanichiro proves himself time and time again as a master swordsman with great loyalty, eventually earning the respect of Saito and the other samurai.

This 2003 movie won several Japanese Academy Awards including Best Actor. It was a good samurai movie from the period of the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Shinsengumi was the Shogun's last samurai corps dedicated to defending the Shogun. That is what the film is about. How a samurai, who seemed to be only in it for the money, but in the end, he showed his loyalty and courage.

There were many actors in this film that I have seen before recently in Japanese TV dramas, including one that I think was also in the TV drama "Shinsengumi." Overall it was a good movie and I recommend it.

The Geiko's Journey

The Geiko's Journey series.

This was an interesting series. It is my understanding that a Geiko is a Geisha in Kyoto dialect. But it was also my belief that when a Geisha or Geika performed, they always performed in their white makeup. But most of the performing the Geiko in this series did was not in white makeup.

I like the Matron or head mother of the Geiko. She has a smokers voice but a funny and outgoing personality.

Part one




Part two




Part three




Part four




Part five

J TV Dramas: Atsuhime & Shinsengumi

I have been watching the NHK drama "Atsuhime". Here in Los Angeles it is playing on a local cable channel. Before I had even heard of the show, I had been reading about the time period in Japanese history that the show covers.

The first episode was pretty cool because I kept saying to myself, "I know that character". I have read about the people portrayed in the show including Sakamoto Ryoma, Saigo Takamori, Katsu Kaishu, Tokugawa Yoshinobu and others. It seems to be a pretty amazing coincidence that this show is airing at the same time as I have been reading so much about this time period in Japanese history.

The show is pretty good but some of the characters do not live up to what I expect. They have been made to seem silly or a little goofy. I think this is common in these types of Japanese dramas. The actor portrays Sakamoto Ryoma in a fairly silly or goofy way. Even more so Saigo Takamori. The real Saigo was a man over 6 feet tall and with a strong but quiet or reserved personality. But the actor also portrays him in funny and silly way. And the actor is short. Not what I would expect from what I have read about Saigo, who was the inspiration for the movie "The Last Samurai."

However, I still like these Japanese historical dramas. Of course since I am interested in history, especially Japanese history, that is why they are interesting.

I also watched most of the year-long TV drama "Shinsengumi" from several years ago. I think the characters and the story lines and the costumes are all really interesting. But, also with the Shinsengumi drama, the characters were certainly not portrayed very accurately in my opinion. It is pretty much a historical fact that Kondo Isami, the leader of the Shinsengumi, was a brutal man that was responsible for the violent and bloody deaths of many enemies of the Shogun. But the television show portrayed him as a friendly, ethical, honorable man. Certainly not based completely in reality. It is true that Kondo was very loyal to the Shogun. An honorable trait. But, of course, he displayed that loyalty with brutal violence.

I know Korean dramas have also been popular in Japan. I watched a Korean drama a couple of years ago that was also really popular in Japan. I really got into it. It was called "Dae Jang Geum" or "Jewel in the Palace". I first saw it while visiting Japan for several weeks in 2006. But it was dubbed in Japanese. Even so it looked interesting.

What I did not like is that the show was dubbed in Japanese. I don't like dubbing. I prefer subtitles and I prefer to hear the actors real voice. You get a much better feeling of the character if you hear the actors actual voice rather then a dubbed voice.

I lucked out though. After returning to Los Angeles, the show started playing on an Asian cable channel with English subtitles. They were doing marathon weekend showings and I DVR'd it and watched the entire series. Great show.

(12/15/08) Note:

I believe the TV show made an error regarding the scene where Ryoma was killed. It showed Ryoma with his handgun. But according to the books I have read, Ryoma did not have it. He had given it to his sister. He was without his gun when he was attacked the second and final time where he died.

Interesting videos about Geisha

Some interesting videos about Geisha.