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samurai vaccine

Kyushu’s Samurai Vaccinators: The Fight Against Smallpox in Late Edo Japan

Faced with an epidemic, a forward-thinking group of doctors and samurai leaders launched a successful vaccination campaign in late Edo Japan.

Kadomatsu in Sendai: An Old-School Japanese New Year

You may have heard of kadomatsu, Japan's traditional New Year decoration. But did you know of this old-school variation from the Edo era?
Snow monkeys

The Snow Monkeys of Japan: A Fascinating History

They were a part of Japanese folklore for centuries before they enjoyed international fame. Learn more about Japan's snow monkeys.
Suzume Odori - Aoba Matsuri

Stronger than the Wave: Five Southern Tohoku Folk Traditions

The Tohoku region's endured a lot over the past 200 years. How five rich folk traditions capture the durability and diversity of the region.
Yudonosan, one of the three mountains of the Dewa Sanzan

The Sacred Peaks: An Introduction to the Dewa Sanzan

Learn about the Dewa Sanzan, the three mountains that are the pride of Japan's north - and a deeply spiritual site for many.

Mercenaries of Global Terror: Shigenobu Fusako and the Japanese Red Army

Shigenobu Fusako vowed to take the Japanese Red Army global. Her mission ended with dozens of innocent deaths.
Banei Racing

Banei Racing: Hokkaido’s Stubborn Settler Sport of Strength and Spirit

Hokkaido's fascinating Banei Racing, where massive draft horses pull weighted sleighs up slopes, is an intriguing remnant of a colonial history.
An Edo-era woman with naginata and brush stands before the colors of the Lesbian flag, symbolizing the queer aspects of this story.

Queer Echoes: Koike Chikyoku, Unlikely Warrior Artist

The story of a little-know artist-turned-warrior during the waning days of the samurai -- and who just might have been a queer woman.
Cover depicts Narita Airport in the background, juxtaposed to an image of the Sanrizuka Struggle.

Sanrizuka: The Battle for Narita Airport

Narita, Japan's busiest airport, was once the site of a titanic civil struggle that pitted thousands of armed activists and farmers against the state.

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