He continued to collect Japanese swords on the sidelines of his practice as a physician. Twenty-two of the 31 blades are categorized as “koto” (old swords), which date to around the 16th ...

Japanese swords have always been more than just weapons, they were artworks, status symbols, and throughout history had a huge spiritual importance. Each sword is a unique artwork, and one that is ...

Here is a look at some of the most popular finds from the year: In Norway, boys discovered rare 600-year-old silver coins under ... a cellar turned out to be a Japanese wakizashi from the Edo ...

It didn’t matter, because Mr. Marumo was also three times as old. He was 88 ... a short monthly magazine dedicated to traditional Japanese poetry. To be a speedskater at his age no longer ...

Okinawans were forbidden to carry swords ... the old kingdom of Ryukyu in 1879 and set out to effectively colonize the archipelago, repressing its traditions and imposing Japanese culture through ...

The term "samurai" comes from the Japanese word saburau, meaning "to serve," and was first used in A.D. 702 to describe mid-to-low-ranking court administrators and, later, armed imperial guards.