Edo gentlemen of fashion sport exquisite Inro such as this example made in the 17th century by Jokasai; ornate sword guards (below) were also popular. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEIKADO BUNKO ART MUSEUM

Though women's fashions of the period have received considerable attention, the no less intricate accessories worn by men -- including inro (lacquerware medicine boxes), carved netsuke (toggles), and tsuba (metal sword guards) -- have often been given short shrift. Now, this display of more than 120 small treasures reveals both the dandyism of upper-class samurai and the genius of the artists behind these sophisticated creations.

(Yomimuri Shimbun Oct. 2, 2002)
Yoshimi Nagamine

Edo Period outpost in Hakone to be restored

(Japan Times, January 29, 2002)

YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) The main structure of an Edo Period "sekisho" (trade route outpost) in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, will be restored by the local board of education to serve as an educational and tourist site.

　

Foundation stones have been excavated in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, from the site of an Edo Period "sekisho" (out post) that was destroyed in 1869.

Hakone's sekisho, which is designated as a national historic property, will be the first in Japan to be restored, according to the Hakone Municipal Board of Education.

The restoration work is scheduled to begin in June and is expected to be completed by March 2004, the board said, stressing that what will be restored is the "obansho," where sekisho officers checked passports.

Kyoto ceilings bear footprints of 1600 samurai mass suicide

(Japan Times June 26, 2001)
By GARY TEGLER
Staff writer

KYOTO -- Stepping onto the outer corridor of Shodenji Temple in Kyoto on a recent afternoon, I marveled at the view from the neatly laid out garden. Perfectly framed between the surrounding trees stood a spectacular view of Mount Hiei.

　

Ceiling boards in Kyoto's Genkoan Temple, whose gate is seen below, bear bloodstains that legend has it were from the mass suicide of samurai at Fushimi Castle over 400 years ago.

After a few minutes, a young woman walked up to me and pointed to the overhang above our heads. Clearly discernible was a footprint. What, I asked, was that? "Chi," she said, pointing to a vein in her arm. Blood? I had to investigate.

The story that unfolded is one rarely told in history books, even though it involved the most powerful figures of the late 16th century.

Tokyo drafts guidelines to protect historical sites

(Japan Times June 1, 2001)

In the first move of its kind in Japan, Tokyo has drawn up guidelines aimed at preserving the area around buildings and other structures that have been designated historically significant.

The guidelines, which were set last week by the metropolitan government, call on developers to consider the size and placement of new structures they erect near these sites so they don't infringe on the general view, officials said.

Read the rest of the article here.

Package of Protective Amulets Found Inside Helmet of 17th Century Samurai

(Japan Times February 3, 2001)

Rapt in the spell of a castle town

(Japan Times December 20, 2000)

There's something exotic about a castle town, and Kumamoto is no exception. Kumamoto Castle's enormous fortifications and steps give an immediacy to the thrills and spills of history, and tower knowingly above its surrounds today.

Read the rest of the article here.

Tale of 'lost' scholars found in U.K.

(Japan Times November 25, 2000)

Scholars at the Soseki Museum in London have found a manuscript recording the lives of "Gonza" and "Souza" in their museum.  The manuscript was written in Latin in the 18th century by Theotious Bayer, a Classics instructor at St. Petersburg Science Academy.  The manuscript is part of the estate papers from Dr. William Hunter of Glasgow University.  Gonza was the first compiler of a Russian-Japanese dictionary; both he and Souza were Japanese instructors at the St. Petersburg Science Academy in the 18th century.

Abstract for Morimoto, M. (2000) The circulation of gold and silver during the Toyotomi regime, Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History 83, 25-57.  (ADOBE pdf format)

Abstract for Sonobe, T. (2000) Miyaze and the family in villages in the transition period from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern times, Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History 83, 1-24.  (ADOBE pdf format)

Window to the 16th Century: Diary of a Korean Envoy Found

(Japan Times July 22, 1999)

This news article tells of the discovery by Professor Manji Kitajima of the diary of Pak Hong Jang, a Korean envoy to Japan.  The document was found in a bookstore in western Japan.  Jang was a deputy in the Korean delegation that came to negotiate a peace treaty with Hideyoshi.  The book contains numerous observations on Momoyama Japan and the court of Hideyoshi.

Doherty, C. J., and Maske, A. L. (1998) Characterization of Takitori stoneware from Chikuzen Province, Japan, Archaeometry 40, 71-95.

ABSTRACT: This study reports the findings of an examination of stonewares from the Takatori kilns of seventeenth- to nineteenth-century Chikuzen Province, Kyushu, Japan. Scanning electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy were used to determine the mineralogy and chemical compositions of the ceramic bodies. The results of this broad characterization are used to comment on the relationships between these wares and the raw materials used. Despite close similarities in some cases, it is possible to distinguish the wares of many of these kilns from each other and from outwardly similar wares from contemporary kilns in adjacent provinces.

Urban Development and Historical Preservation: Toward a New Partnership

Hiroyuki Suzuki (Japan Echo Vol. 25, 1998)

Abstract

I have traveled to cities around the world, and in general I have been left with the impression that the rich heritage of urban culture is being preserved and transmitted in these population centers. The cities of Europe, of course, are veritable treasure houses of history and culture. In Rome, ancient ruins exist alongside a modern urban center. London and Paris both function as modern capitals even while preserving the urban framework established in the nineteenth century. As visitors we are enchanted by these cities precisely because they confront us at every turn with their multileveled historicity. And of course, these famous capitals are not the only places in Europe that preserve a strong historical flavor. In fact, the small provincial cities and towns often retain an even more pronounced historical aspect: The towns nestled in the mountains of Italy, those along Germany's Romantische Strasse, and the old castle towns of France's Loire Valley all share this appeal.

Japan can also boast many cities that preserve their traditional townscapes. As of April 1998, there were 49 areas designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as "historic preservation districts" under a program begun in 1976. They range in location from the city of Hakodate in Hokkaidô to the north to the island of Taketomijima in Okinawa to the south. In general, however, the program focuses on architecture dating back to the Edo period (1600-1868) or earlier. Only a very few districts, such as ones in Hakodate, Kobe, and Nagasaki, have earned the designation for Western-style architecture from the Meiji era (1868-1912) or later. One major reason is that those urban districts constructed after Japan entered the modern era are generally located right in the downtown area of today's major economic centers, where older buildings are constantly being replaced with new ones and property owners resist the idea of being forced to keep things as they are. The result is that Japan's foremost urban centers lack anything resembling the character and depth of their European counterparts. Instead, they seem to be forever under construction.