The first prototype of the Japanese samurai armor is in the presence of Yoroi. The armor for Japanese samurai was found during the Gempei War of 1181-1185. The upper body armor of the samurai was called “Do”. It comprised of the “Sode”, a suspended shoulder and upper-arm protection plates. The Sode [...]

Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art of sword fighting. The traditional Japanese swordsmanship or Kenjutsu serves as a platform of Kendo.
Its meaning “Way of the Sword” is best shown in the physically and mentally challenging activity of Kendo combining strong martial arts values having sports-like physical elements.

Concepts of Kendo
The All Japan Kendo Federation [...]

Did you know that homosexuality or pederasty has long been celebrated in samurai society?
Japan has records that show the prevalence of homosexuality dating as far as ancient times. Its history accepts love between me as the purest form of love.

Homosexuality had never been taken as a sin in Japanese society and religion. It [...]

Yabusame is a kind of Japanese archery as a ceremonial art of shooting whistling arrows at a stationary target from the back of a galloping horse. The archer shoots a special “turnip-headed ” arrow at a wooden target.
Yabusame as an archery dates its origins at the start of the Kamakura period. It was [...]

Get in depth with horseback riding and Japanese archery all in one video.
Yabusame drivers have decades of experience to learn the art of archery. Witness how Tim Ferriss attempts to learn Yabusame (a Japanese archery) in a matter of days. Would he live up to the challenge? See it below.

Yabusame - Tim Ferriss [...]

A ninja can creep behind you like a thief in the night. He can get pass you unnoticed like a ghost passing by. By then, you would have to depend on your sixth sense to get a grasp on the unseen presence. The popular name “Naruto” puts the ninja character in spotlight. [...]

Katana is a sword technologically perfect in structure and so beautiful in creation that it gave rise to an autocratic creed.
Did you know that one of the real katana makers does not sleep for three days just to waatch the furnace burn the world’s sharpest sword.
Discover where the real katana swords are made in Japan [...]

Kusagirama is a traditional Japanese weapon consisting of kama (the Japanese version of a sickle) on a metal chain (manriki) with a heavy iron weight at the end.
It is ironic to know that Kusarigama is derived from a farmer’s scythe but farmers did not carry kusarigama. It was often carried as a weapon during [...]

Swords are not limited to the samurai class. Another class of warriors called Ninja or also known as shinobi, was a class of warriors who originated from lower levels of society. Ninjas are equivalent to modern day spies and were in service of Japanese land lords (a.k.a daymio) and samurai. Ninja may come from [...]

One of the greatest swordsmiths in Japan is Masamune Okazaki. Masamune is almost legendary in Japan. Most of his work was done during the 13th and 14th century. Most Japanese and historians may agree that Masamune has lived in the Sagami province. His most famous works are the tachi swords and [...]