For imperial loyalists of the late Edo Period, the experiences of Emperor Go-Daigo from five centuries past were an inspiration — and a warning. Read more
Discover the hometown of the Yoshiwara publisher who helped shape Japan’s artistic legacy and inspired NHK’s latest period drama. Read more
Public broadcaster NHK marks its 100th anniversary by flipping the script on its long-running period drama series. Read more
The castle from the Edo Period could being assessed as bearing a unique testimony to a disappeared cultural tradition or civilization. Read more
The era’s warrior class and its martial virtues were redundant but lived on — overshadowed by the pursuit of pleasure. Read more
As the shogunate required order in society, love was seen as a threat to rational thinking — something that you might die for. Read more
Peace — what a waste. A nation’s fighting spirit seethes in vain. “The loyalty and courage of its fine soldiers remain hidden,” laments the narrator as the curtain rises on the “Chushingura”... Read more
Toranosuke Katayama, 73, is a self-taught cameraman of five decades and counting. Born in Nagano, home to one of Japan's three most celebrated soba dishes, he grew up with a distaste fo... Read more
