http://www.japan-101.com/culture/index2.htm
Japan Home Page (2005)

Recommended

This site is quite possibly the most informative site I found on the web, not only about Japanese martial arts, but about the Japanese culture in general. It has numerous links about any topic you could ever wonder about, and links within those subsections that go into further detail about the matters. From historical overviews, to their martial arts and weapons, to even their religion, this site does a great and thorough job at explaining in detail all about the Japanese culture.

The main page of the site primarily lists seven different categories: Japanese culture introduction and Japanese festivals, Japanese martial arts and weapons, famous Japanese people, Japanese games and sports, fashions in Japan (including Japanese myths and media), religion in Japan, and miscellaneous Japanese culture topics. Under each of these categories is a plethora of sites which a researcher may click on to learn more about the topics.

Under the Japanese culture introduction and Japanese festivals, the links provide information on the aging of Japanﾒs culture, the Ainu people of Japan, Japanﾒs demographics, ethnic issues in Japan, and plenty of other sites based on the Japanese culture.

The Japanese martial arts and weapons category was of particular interest to me, not only because this is what I am researching, but also because I was offered an abundant amount of information to choose out of. The site provides a list of, not only the most prominent martial arts, such as Aikido, Judo, and Kendo, but also less studied arts such as Katana, Wakizashi, and Kyokushin. Under each martial art is a brief description of the art.

The category entitled ﾓFamous Japanese Peopleﾔ includes a long list of accomplished members, from Esaki Leona, a Japanese physicist and Nobel Prize winter, to even such categories as Takeru Kobayashi is in for holding the world record for hot dog eating.

The ﾓJapanese Games and Sportsﾔ category lists various topics having to do with many events in Japanese sports, such as baseball, sumo wrestling, motorcycle racing, cycling, and even board games, including the Japanese professionals in each sport.

The next category, ﾓFashions in Japan,ﾔ generally provides information on the costumes particular to the Japanese culture. The list includes details about schoolboysﾒ uniforms, the Japanese fashion trend of black makeup, types of socks, fashion trends among girls, traditional footwear, and many others.

The category addressing religion in Japan also provides a wealth of information on the countless aspects of the various Japanese religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Shintoism, and new religions in Japan today.

Lastly, the miscellaneous Japanese culture topics include a list of what I would call random incidents, facts, and elements of the Japanese life and history, such as techniques of alternative medicine, the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, and even information on Akita, a Japanese breed of dog.

Annotated by: Jana Hoche (March 2005)

Martial Arts: Aikido | Iaido | Judo | Kendo | other martial art: Kyudo, Bojutsu, Ninj

Topics: biography | forms | history | instruction | philosophy | weapons |