shogun Posts

Hark Back to Meiji-Era Japan With These Stunning Pictures

Although Japan has had an Imperial Family for the greater part of its history, the de-facto rulers of the country between the 11th and 19th centuries were the shoguns. These men were hereditary military dictators who called the shots and exercised almost absolute power over the nation. 

A Real Look into the Lives of the Last Samurai

The supreme military leader of the samurai is called the Shogun . The first Shogun led the samurai tribes to victory and control over the government in the 12th century.

Dragons Aren’t Just for Kids! 7 Fantasy Novels for Adults

Shogun/ James Clavell During WWII, young British soldier James Clavell was sent to the East Indies to fight the Japanese. While there, he sustained an injury and was taken captive by the Japanese. He spent the remainder of the war in POW camps where he received cruel treatment from his captors.

These Are the Most Famous Swords Ever Forged!

The sword pictured above, called Honjo Masamune, is considered to be his greatest work of all, because it was used by the Shogun warriors during Japan's Edo period. In 1939, it became a Japanese national treasure due to its great historical significance. 6.

8 Novels Any History Lover Must Read

Shogun by James Clavell Image Source: Amazon Time Period and Setting: 1600s, Japan James Clavell’s best-selling novel begins around 1600 when The Erasmus, a Dutch warship, is blown ashore on the Japanese coast during a storm.

These Artifacts Are All the First of Their Kind...

Oldest known living Bonsai tree: Nicknamed the “Third Shogun”, this white pine Bonsai tree is over 550 years old. Oldest known Emoticons: The first known use of the smiley faces on a telegraph, 1881.

The Greatest Wonders of Japanese Architecture

[related_articles] Toshogu Shrine Gate (Tōshō-gū Yōmeimon) Image source: Wikimedia Commons The Toshogu Shrine is the resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the most famous samurai leader in history.

What Did Our Favorite Brands Look Like a 100 Years Ago?

When the shogun closed Japan to outside influence, these cards were banned, and so Japanese gambling houses, run by the Yakuza, created their own cards called “hanafuda” or flower cards.

6 Treasures Owners Unwittingly Used As Household Goods

The chest was hand-crafted by Kaomi Nagashige, the lacquer-maker of the Tokugawa shoguns in Kyoto circa 1640. The French Cardinal owned a set of two such chests and the beautiful lacquer masterpieces stayed in the family until the French Revolution.

These 10 Invaluable World Treasures Were Never Recovered

The Honjo Masamune Katana Image Source: Wikimedia Commons This 13th-century katana crafted by the most renowned swordsmiths in Japanese history, Gorō Nyūdō Masamune, was one of Japan’s most prized treasures, passed on from generation to generation of ruling Shoguns for 700 years.