It is almost the end of 2012 and a few days ago I visited “The Black Gate Market” in Nipponbashi, Osaka. There were a lot of people looking for the best bargains to, end the year and ring in the new, in style. This market is quite colourful, there are a variety of shops and it’s usually very noisy. Have Continue reading «Shōgatsu or New-Years Celebrations in Japan!»

Forces under the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan. The Siege of Osaka was a series of battles undertaken by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan’s destruction. Divided into two stages (Winter Campaign and Summer Campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege put an end to the last major armed Continue reading «Historical Events Today: 1615 – Siege of Osaka!»

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi’s castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, Continue reading «Famous Birthdays Today: 1637 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Unified Japan.»