In my youth, my introduction to Japanese swords (as with many other people) was via martial arts, Akira Kurosawa movies, and my discovery...
After more than 250 years of rule, the Tokugawa government’s power had begun to wane. The Japanese people had been longing for modernization. Following the...
Rugby fever continues to grip Japan even though the World Cup finished several months ago. In 2020, before the novel coronavirus swept the...
Thanks to you, our dear readers, JAPAN Forward reached new milestones in monthly and daily readerships in 2019. Millions of users around the world followed our...
In recent times, there have been many cases of war loot being repatriated to the original owners, their descendants, or country of origin. French...
Second of Three Parts Part 1: Samurai Spirit of Fukushima: The Shonentai Youth Corps of Nihonmatsu Castle In the late Edo period, the...
(First of 3 Parts) At the end of the Edo period (1600-1868), Japan was in turmoil. There had been over 260 of rule by...
Happy New Year from JAPAN Forward! One week into 2019, we are sharing with you in a series the 25 most-read articles of the past...
The town of Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture is home to the Osafune Japanese Sword Museum. Osafune, a village in the archaic province Bizen,...
The Tokyo Art Club in Shinbashi is host every year to the world’s largest Japanese sword show called the Dai Token Ichi. ...
Swords of Kyoto, a spectacular new sword exhibition opened September 29 at the Kyoto National Museum and finishes November 25. The exhibition focuses on the...
Paul Martin for JAPAN Forward The city of Yasugi has a long history with Japanese steel. Hitachi Metalworks — co-sponsors of the...