Japan Unveiled: Late-Blooming Culture

Yuzuru Hanyu is  the world renowned figure skater , who won  Two Olympic Gold Medals and two World Championship Titles among others.  Recently he visited the earthquake-devastated Wajima area to express his sympathy and solidarity with those affected by the quake.   Fig. Hanyu walks around the devastated  Wajima. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=fA1AC3saxp4&t=90s Figure skater Hanyu visits quake-hit central  Japan Nippon TV News 24 Japan   Fig. Wajima  source: Google Earth modified by the author Memorable Scene 1 : An Elderly Woman’s Resilience Fig. 06:45. An elderly woman on the right  tells her story. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=fA1AC3saxp4&t=90s Figure skater Hanyu visits quake-hit central Japan Nippon TV News 24 Japan An elderly woman shared her experience    (translation by the author) :   “The damage to my house was fortunately minimal, and I can still live there. However, when relief goods were distributed to survivors, I

  Fig. Kasuke, the leader of the 1686 peasant uprising in the Matsumoto domain. The history of samurai is fascinating. I described some of the samurai history in my blog [1-4]. However, history of Japan is not solely the history of samurai. Samurai made up only a small portion of the population. I always wanted to explore the history of people other than samurai.　 In the summer of 2024, I had an opportunity to visit Gimin History Museum of Azumino , Nagano Prefecture . Their exhibits consist of the 1686 peasant uprising in the Tokugawa period (1603-1868).   Fig. Azumino, Nagano Prefecture.  Source: google earth, modified by the author Fig. Present day Azumino overlooking the North Japan Alps, known for its natural beauty. It is popular among mountain climbers. I have long romanticized the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), envisioning it as an era of peace where people enjoyed life, leading to the flourishing of the rich culture we associate with Japan today. Naturally, it wasn’t a