Discover the reality of samurai life beyond the battlefield. This article explores their upbringing, peacetime roles in governance and economy, family customs, homes, and the eventual decline of their class. Understand how Bushido shaped their values and how they adapted...

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We have written a number of entries about how the katana appears in many Japanese idioms, these gained a great response from our readers. Therefore, we decided to take things a little broader, focusing not only on the sword but...

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Japanese food is surged in popularity worldwide and is loved for its healthiness. The Japanese food or washoku that we eat now has gone through many changes, yet still keeps some traditional elements. But what about in historical times, when...

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Presently it is generally accepted that social status during the Edo period was not completely fixed. A generation earlier, we learned in school that there was a hierarchical system called shi-no-ko-sho (Samurai-Peasant-Artisan-Merchant). But this is now rejected and the word...

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