Odawara Castle: Hojo Clan's Independence from Shogunate and People-Centered Policy
A remarkable Hojo clan, a pioneering and the final force of Sengoku Daimyo, a territorial lord in the Warring States Period, who reigned supreme in the Kanto region for a century-spanning five generations. Their unwavering ambition was to be independent of the vested interest of the Muromachi Shogunate (1336-1573) and to safeguard the livelihoods and […]
Castle in Tokyo, you should go to the Imperial Palace (Edo Castle ruin) to feel the end of the samurai era
The Imperial Palace, located near Tokyo Station, was the former residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns known as Edo Castle. During the era of significant change at the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868), many people lived tumultuous lives. How was Edo Castle able to open without bloodshed despite the threat of invasion by Western powers? […]
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura, the birthplace of the Samurai government
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura was a cornerstone for the samurai, Minamoto Yoritomo, and his retainers in establishing the first Samurai government in Japan. Until then, the samurai’s mission was to protect the emperors by way of force, acting as a kind of police unit called Kebiishi. How was Yoritomo able to establish the first […]