All Posts
Kamakura
The period in Japan known as the Kamakura period took place approximately between 1185–1333 AD. This period was when samurai power was at its height, and the country was ruled by the feudal military government, appointed by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1192. The heads of this military […]
Muromachi
The period from approximately 1337 to 1573 was known in Japan as the Muromachi period (室町時代). Also known as the Ashikaga era too, this period of Japan’s history can further be split into 2 periods which consisted of the continued support of Emperor Go-Daigo, who had attempted to reintroduce a […]
Nara
The Nara period (奈良時代) covers the years from approximately 710 AD to 794 AD. Heijo Kyo served as the main imperial capital in the Nara region from 710 to 784 and was established by Empress Gemmei. It remained the capital until Emperor Kammu decided to establish a new capital called […]
Akechi Mitsuhide
Akechi Mitsuhide was a general during the warring states period in Japan, known as the Sengoku period. He worked under the daimyo Oda Nobunaga, and later rebelled against him in 1582. Mitsuhide was born in 1528 and was given the birth name of Jubei, later changing it. He was born […]
Women
In early feudal Japan, the women that samurai choose as their wives were expected to maintain the household while their husbands were away fighting. Wives were known as okugatasama, which is translated to mean the one who remains at home. It was their responsibility to manage the household affairs, and […]
Names
Samurai had one of the most interesting methods of naming themselves in history. They would look to the past and use one kanji character from either their father or grandfather and then from the present, and one new kanji character. Often names were made up of particular elements that would […]
