What Tokugawa Descendants are Doing Now?

Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康 January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. (Wiki)

Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) – November 3

Culture Day (文化の日, Bunka-no-hi) is a national holiday held annually in Japan on November 3 for the purpose of promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavor. Festivities typically include art exhibitions, parades, and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars.

Hiroshima Mayor to UN: 370,000 Signatures for Nuclear Disarmament

Izumo Taisha: Oldest Shinto Shrine in Japan

Izumo Taisha (出雲大社, Izumo Taisha , also called as Izumo Ōyashiro) is one of the most ancient and important of the Shinto shrines in Japan. Its name means “The Grand Shrine of Izumo.” (Wiki)

Empress Michiko’s 74th Birthday

In a statement released to the media, Empress Michiko answered questions posed by reporters regarding various topics.

82-year-old Imperial Japanese Army Pilot: “I just wanted to fly”

An 82-year-old former Imperial Japanese Army fighter pilot arrested for operating an ultralight plane without permission at a park in Kamishihoro, Hokkaido, has told police that he just wanted to fly.

Kido Shunzo and Kyugun

Today I am going to post about animals 🙂 This is a true story about Kido Shunzo and his horse Kyugun. Unfortunately, very few articles covered this story in English, so I would like to remedy this situation a little 🙂

Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims

This monument was built (August 6, 1952) with the desire to reconstruct Hiroshima─the city destroyed by the world’s first atomic bombing─as a city of peace. It was designed by Kenzo Tange, then a professor at the University of Tokyo. It resembles an ancient arch-shaped house, in part because of the desire to shelter the souls of the victims from the elements. The monument is inscribed with the words, “Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.” The stone chest in the center holds the registry of the names of persons who died from the bombing, regardless of nationality. Names are added when persons related to a death make application. As of August 6, 2001, the registry comprises 77 volumes that list a total of 221,893 names. Source

While the world is focused on the upcoming Olympics now, we should not forget the events that happened this week over 60 years ago. Watch these videos and think about the people.