Review: In Beat Takeshi’s Kubi, Samurai are Queer Yakuza
Internationally famed director Kitano Takeshi is back with his new samurai epic, Kubi. The violent, darkly funny film has some surprises in store for viewers.
Internationally famed director Kitano Takeshi is back with his new samurai epic, Kubi. The violent, darkly funny film has some surprises in store for viewers.
When the U.S. Civil War broke out in 1861, samurai still ruled Japan. How did the samurai – recently forced into trade with the US and on the cusp of their own war – react?
June 29th is “Tsukudani Day,” a minor holiday for the fish-and-seaweed dish. It’s also the food that saved shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s life.
To this day, a rivalry exists between the northern Japanese prefectures of Aomori and Iwate. And its source? A bunch of trees.
Learn about how a low-ranking samurai, Sakamoto Ryoma, helped bring down the Shogunate – and why he lost his life for it.
Saigo Takamori would ultimately tear down the samurai system he so dearly loved. But first, he had to survive an ordeal that nearly killed him.
How Japan’s discovery of a large northern island devastated the island’s native population – and how Japan lost control when Russia muscled in.
How Japan’s samurai resistance fell to the pressure of history – and how its leader went from hatred traitor to respected leader.
The story of the samurai who fought the rise of modern Japan to the end – and who, when all else failed, founded his own nation-state.
Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly digest of our best work across platforms (Web, Twitter, YouTube). Your support helps us spread the word about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime.
Want a preview? Read our archives
You’ll get one to two emails from us weekly. For more details, see our privacy policy