Japan

I'm a little sad to be saying goodbye to this topic, but the time has come to move on.

It is time again for the new year (new millennium?) to arrive in Japan, and therefore high time for another explanation of Japan's New Year's traditions.

While most people think of Tokyo or Kyoto when they think of visiting Japan, the Japanese themselves list Sapporo as one of their top vacation destinations. This article tells why.

Shogun: Total War challenges you, the feudal lord of a handful of provinces in ancient Japan, to use military might, cunning, diplomacy and ruthlessness to overcome your rivals in a bid to unite the country. Do you have what it takes to become ruler of 16th Century Japan?

Two months ago, I explained the qualities that make Japanese swords unique and mentioned that I had visited a traditional Japanese sword maker in Seki, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. This month, I’ll explain what I learned about the sword making process on that trip, and will discuss the different types of Japanese ...

Throughout most of Japan, summer is hot and muggy. While in Tokyo, that primarily means you need to pause to empty the water from those de-humidifiers in your closet, in the rural areas it means it’s time to pause from the hard work of farming to take part in several summer ...

The Japanese sword combines unbreakability, rigidity and lethal cutting power, and it is in the resolution of these conflicting practical requirements that it emerges as a triumph of the forger’s art.

For awhile Americans held up the Japanese education system as a model to be emulated, but many don't know the system was actually started by Americans and has its share of problems.

I personally have had very few negative experiences through kendo in Japan, and countless positive ones. My dojo has always felt like home to me. They're both equally freezing in winter and blazing in summer.

The serious kendoist keeps alive the spirit of the samurai. His sword has turned from metal to bamboo, but his mind and spirit are still forged steel, blasted in a furnace and folded several hundred times.