Tairō (大老)
The tairō (大老) or "great elder" held what was, at least in theory, the highest-ranking position under the shōgun within the administrative hierarchy of the Tokugawa shogunate (徳川幕府, 1603-1867). Despite...
View ArticleKannō Disturbance (1350-1352)
The Kannō Disturbance (観応の擾乱 Kannō Jōran, 1350-1352) was a deeply destabilising civil conflict that erupted within the fledgling Muromachi bakufu (室町幕府), pitting Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏, 1305–1358), the...
View ArticleGenkō Incident (1331-1333)
The Genkō Incident (元弘の変 Genkō no Ran, 1331-1333) was a turbulent chapter in early 14th-century Japan, which marked the collapse of the Kamakura shogunate and the brief resurgence of direct imperial...
View ArticleMeitoku Rebellion 明徳の乱
The Meitoku Rebellion (明徳の乱 Meitoku no Ran) erupted in the second year of Meitoku (1391), as a direct challenge to the authority of the third shōgun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu...
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Ōei Rebellion 応永の乱
The Ōei Rebellion (応永の乱 Ōei no Ran) was an extensive uprising launched in the 10th month of Ōei 6 (November 1399). It came to an end by the 12th month of the same year (January 1400), marking one of...
View ArticleKubi Jikken 首実検
Kubi Jikken: Head Inspection in Sengoku JapanIn the violent and honour-bound world of Japan's Sengoku period (戦国時代), the taking of enemy heads was more than a gruesome souvenir—it was proof of...
View ArticleShirasu 白子
In Japanese cuisine and coastal life, few ingredients encapsulate the confluence of geography, tradition, and taste as vividly as shirasu (白子), or "whitebait". This collective term refers to...
View ArticleKyōtoku Rebellion 享徳の乱 (1455-1483)
The Kyōtoku Rebellion (享徳の乱 Kyōtoku no Ran) raged from 15 January 1455 until 6 January 1483, a protracted civil war that broke out during the shogunate of the eighth shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa (足利義政,...
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