[The second samurai clan to control Japan extensively was the Ashikaga, 1336-1573. The Ashikaga lived in the Kyoto suburb of Muromachi to keep an eye on the Emperor, but soon fell prey to the luxurious life of the…
[Samurai armour was generally made of strips (lamellae) of iron laced together with deerskin or silk. The iron strips were coated with lacquer to prevent rusting.] A wide range of colours was used for lacing. By far the…
If you are keen on the history of Japan during the period of warrior rule (c. 1200 –1850), there are many good books available. Here is one example of a well researched and beautifully illustrated study of one…
Book Review: MUSASHI by Eiji Yoshikawa (1892-1962) Published in Japanese in 1939; English translation in 1981 This novel presents the story of a young man, an orphan, whose wild energy and ambition are gradually channeled into a variety…
When I started training in 1975, there were almost no books in English on Aikido. Now there are manyas well as many fine sources of information on the internet. You cannot learn Aikido from a book; but a…