Japan loves a sword master. Of the many who made a name for themselves during the Muromachi era, the most influential has to be Kamīzumi Nobutsuna, founder of the Shinkage style, which went on to influence countless schools throughout the Edo era. One such school run by the Yagyū clan popularised the Yagyū Shinkage style, created by legendary sword master Yagyū Munemori, whose descendants went…
Welcome to part two of this overview of the Edo era. Whereas in part one we focussed on central administration and foreign policy, this time we’re going to be paying attention to labour issues, taxes and the economy. The second half of the Edo era was characterised by three major reforms, the need for which was brought about by depleting gold and silver supplies, an…
The Edo era: 1603 – 1867 We’ve reached the Edo era! For those of you who have been reading this series since the beginning, well done for having made it to this point. Only a little further to go until we’re into the modern age. We left off last time in 1616 with Tokugawa Ieyasu dying and leaving the Edo shōgunate in the hands of…
