What happens when a party of foreign tourists is believed to have disrupted the procession of a feudal warlord? A high-action incident, followed by a political...
The famous Japanese blade will go on display in early 2022 for the first time in five years as part of the City of Ashikaga’s 100th...
“Do you know about Ryuseito?" asked Kuniichi Takami, 48, as he slowly took out a dagger, otherwise known as tanto (短刀, literally short sword).
A decade and five films later, the wandering swordsman’s tale is coming to an end as he faces the ghosts of his past and his most...
A Japanese sword resembling the style of the “Nichirin Blade,” a black sword carried by Tanjiro Kamado, protagonist of the Demon Slayer manga series, can...
In my youth, my introduction to Japanese swords (as with many other people) was via martial arts, Akira Kurosawa movies, and my discovery...
Someone once said that studying the Japanese sword is one of the quickest ways to get a profound understanding of Japanese culture. Many specialists...
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 arrival...
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...
Last of Three Parts Part 1: Samurai Spirit of Fukushima: The Shonentai Youth Corps of Nihonmatsu Castle Part 2: In Search of the Samurai...
In recent times, there have been many cases of war loot being repatriated to the original owners, their descendants, or country of origin. French...