If you ever visit Kumamoto Castle you’ll notice this statue inside without much explanation. The soldier’s name is Tanimura Keisuke and he served at the castle when it was besieged by Saigo Takamori’s rebels during the Satsuma Rebellion / Seinan…
Sekigahara: New Museum Tells Story of Japan’s Most Important Battle
On the foggy morning of Oct. 21, 1600 the 160,000 strong samurai armies of eastern and western Japan clashed for six hours at Sekigahara in the single most important battle in Japanese history. The battle was the beginning of the…
Filming Locations of Sukeban Deka II (1985) Then and Now: Yokohama
This mini article was first published Sept. 6, 2020 on Wayfarer Daves Facebook. These will not be replacing regular full-length articles but may supplement from time to time on off weeks. In 1985 the television series Sukeban Deka II had…
Wayfarer Daves 2020 Year in Review
It’s hard to believe, but this December marks five years since Wayfarer Daves began posting on that date which will live in infamy, Dec. 7, 2015. Our first post was actually a story I’d written that had been published in…
Take a Virtual Tour of Old Tokyo!
Since the late unpleasantness has created barriers to travel for service members, virtual travel and tours of dream destinations have become increasingly popular. Using the internet we can watch videos and live vicariously thanks to those living where we want…
Hoichi the Earless and Lafcadio Hearn
Centuries ago in Akamagaseki on Honshu’s southern shore, lived a blind biwa (lute) player named Hoichi at Amidaji Temple. A skilled musician, it was said his musical rendition of the tragic tale of the Battle of Dan-no-ura could move even…
Nanja Koriya?! Meiji Tokyo Renka (2019 Anime) Review
Thanks to COVID 19 I’ve been perusing the archives and came across this unpublished anime review from last year when I saw one of the oddest things I’ve seen since, well, the last odd thing I saw. Also, it was…
Woodpecker Detective’s Office Review and Real History
One of the lower profile shows to come out this season was Woodpecker Detective’s Office, a murder mystery series that uses real life literary figures as consulting detectives in late Meiji-era (1868-1912) Tokyo. If it sounds like Sherlock Holmes, that’s…
Lit Up on Electric Brandy in Asakusa
(This article was written based on a visit to the bar in early January 2020 and concludes our Meiji and Taisho-era drinking trilogy. Please read responsibly.) One of my favorite Japanese drinks is neither a beer, nor traditional sake or…
Meiji and Taisho-era Beer Drinking Today!
There are many ways to tangibly learn about the past. We can visit restored or preserved old buildings kept as they would have been a century ago, ride steam locomotives pulling vintage cars or participate in reenactments where everyone involved…