The Hagakure appears obsessed with seppuku when you read through it. In the book, Yamamoto Tsunetomo collected myriad accounts of samurai from Saga domain along with various proverbs and lessons. Tsunetomo lived during the long peace of the Edo period as a custodian of Lord Mitsushige’s books. He worked from theory, which is why seppuku…
Category: Social Customs
What is Moxa?
If you read any Japanese literature or history, you see moxa and moxa treatments mentioned. Basho in his travel writings discusses getting a moxa treatment before he travels. But what is moxa? What did it treat? Moxa treatments, often called moxibustion, is a folk treatment used to treat cholic, arthritis, gout, cancer, gastrointestinal problems, and…
The Declining Population of Japan
By 2060, Japan will have a population of 86.7 million, from today’s population of 125 million (Yamaguchi, 2022). The population will also grow older. This trend has been going on since the 1970s, when experts first began to write about the decline (Date, 2007). Why is this a problem? After all, fewer people means more…
Book Addiction Has a Word: Tsundoku
I love books and suffer from a mild case of tsundoku. Tsundoku is the Japanese word for the tendency to buy books and not read them. My books clump together in great piles that mock me for not reading them fast enough. Of course, I come home from the library with books that I have…
The Start of Christianity in Japan
The people whom we have met so far, are the best who have as yet been discovered, and it seems to me that we shall never find among heathens another race to equal the Japanese. They are a people of very good manners, good in general, and not malicious. –Francis Xavier c. 1551 Note: This…
Why are Harem Anime Popular?
Most harem anime I’ve watched follow a template. A gaggle of various girls chase a guy with little personality and an aversion to making decisions and touching female skin. Each of the girls represent an anime trope: the tsundere, deredere, and so on. You’ll see the usual body stereotypes too, from the large-breasted girls to…