Author of the Hiro Hattori (Shinobi) mysteries
social classes, and since so many travelers passed through them, they were also excellent places for the Shogunate to post important news, new laws, and edicts, to ensure as many people as possible would see them.
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Medieval Japanese history might have taken an entirely different course, but for one big decision by one small bird.
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While walking in my neighborhood a few years ago, I came up a little temple with a lovely grove of ume trees inside the outer gate. As it happens, this temple–called En’yū-ji–is 1,200 years old, and home to the oldest wooden building in Tokyo.
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Books have played an important role in Japanese culture for centuries, which is one of the major reasons I decided to set the newest Hiro Hattori mystery, FIRES OF EDO, in the world of books, and the people who make and sell them.
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A few weeks ago, I ran an errand in central Tokyo that took me within a short walk of Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine). Since I doubted the shrine would be busy on a weekday morning, I headed over for a visit. Meiji Jingu sits on 70 hectares of forested land in central Tokyo; the shrine was established in 1920, after the death of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Although the Emperor and Emperess are buried in Kyoto, they were posthumously enshrined at Meiji Jingu as protective Shintō deities. Emperor Meiji played a major role in the modernization (and
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While visiting Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera on July 6 (2021), I made a side trip to visit Seikanji–a mountain temple with beautiful views that most visitors don’t even realize is there.
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With the oppressive heat and humidity of a Tokyo summer bearing down, I headed to Yugawara (90 minutes south of Tokyo) to hike Shiroyama (562 meters) – a mountain I hoped would help me choose my greater path.
Read moreSenbei are crispy crackers made from rice (and often flavored). These crispy treats come in both sweet and savory varieties, and have been a Japanese favorite for over a thousand years. Traditionally, the crackers are made from rice flour (sometimes with the addition of potato or other glutinous flours, though usually without wheat) either baked or grilled until crispy and light. The shop’s displays demonstrate the wide variety of senbei; I sampled many and enjoyed them all. Another popular cracker, similar to but distinct from traditional senbei are the small, round crunchy crackers known as arare (あられ) or “hailstones.” Many Western markets carry these small, round
Read moreLast Monday, we traveled (virtually) across the moat and onto the island that housed the Honmaru Palace, which served as the Tokugawa Shoguns’ personal residence in Kyoto. (Here’s the link to that post, if you want to catch up.) This morning, we continue that journey, starting from the courtyard just beyond the bridge: From the courtyard, visitors climb a set of stairs (constructed during the early 17th century, along with the rest of Nijo Castle’s grounds) to reach the elevated level of the Honmaru Palace and the lovely gardens that surround it. The palace and gardens were elevated primarily for defensive purposes, though their height also ensures good drainage–and
Read more(For the first half of the adventure at Ginkaku-ji, start here.) After hiking a mountainous path to see Ginkaku-ji’s famous Silver Pavilion from the elevated vantage point atop the temple gardens: My son and I descended the slippery stone steps (carefully–I didn’t want to ruin the trip by falling off a mountain right at the outset) through groves of bamboo, pine, and maple: …to the famous gardens that surround the pavilion itself: Although most people refer to the temple as Ginkaku-ji (“Temple of the Silver Pavilion”), its actual name is Jishō-ji (“Temple of Shining Mercy”). Construction of the main temple began in 1482, on the
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