Biography

Gotō Shinpei, Statesman of Vision
The Meiji era (1868–1912) produced numerous geniuses in Japan and one who certainly earns his name...

If There Were No Japan
An award-winning writer and translator who has immersed himself in Japanese culture for half a...

Komura Jutaro and His Time
After the Meiji Restoration, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Russo-Japanese War, Japan found itself...

The Legacy of Kano Jigoro
The founder of judo, Kanō Jigorō, is a highly revered figure amongst those who pursue the sport....

Mutsu Munemitsu and His Time
Toward the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, Mutsu Munemitsu was ousted from his home Kishu-han as a...

Providence Was with Us
Starting in 1984 and continuing until his untimely passing in 2019, Dr. Nakamura Tetsu carried out...

Reflections on Tsuda Umeko
Japan’s five-thousand yen banknote will have a new face as of 2024, and that face is Tsuda Umeko...

Shidehara Kijuro and His Time
The Constitution of Japan is often described as a pacifist constitution for its Article 9...

Shigemitsu and Togo and Their Time
The Kwangtung Army’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931 was a clear demonstration of the military’s...

Sugihara Chiune
Sugihara Chiune was a diplomat who saved more than several thousand lives from the Nazis and...

Yoshida Shigeru and His Time
Yoshida Shigeru is widely regarded as a pivotal figure in early postwar Japanese history―someone...