The Politician Who Founded Japan's First Samurai Government Yoritomo and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
Why did Minamoto no Yoritomo—not the military genius Yoshitsune—found Japan's first samurai government? Discover Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, where the age of the samurai began.
Koisihikawa Korakuen, A Tranquil Oasis in Tokyo
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is designed to resemble the scenery you would see on a journey from Edo to Kyoto. It includes a path through the Kiso region, a large pond modelled on Lake Biwa, the Ooi River, and Togetsukyo Bridge in Kyoto, and the mountain and rural scenery of the area around Kannondo Hall of […]
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 (1467-1573), 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 […]
Tokyo Imperial Palace: Edo Castle Ruins and the Bloodless End of the Samurai Era
Explore Tokyo’s Imperial Palace: Edo Castle Ruins and the Legacy of the Samurai Era