The legend of the 47 Ronin (warriors without a lord) has been ingrained into Japanese folklore through books, films, and other forms of art. Known in Japan as the “Ako Roshi,” the story has even made it to Hollywood. With its tale of honor and sacrifice, it captures the essence of Bushido – the samurai…

Ryogoku (両国) is one of the districts in Sumida (墨田区), Tokyo (東京). Located northeast of the capital, Ryogoku is widely known as a sumo (相撲) town with sumo statues in different fighting positions, handprints and portraits of sumo wrestlers, and large murals adorning its calm and quiet neighborhood. Wandering around is like traveling back in…

Planning to visit Tokyo? Wondering how you can make your visit truly memorable and unique? Why, by searching for samurai ghosts, of course. As it happens, stories about the lost souls of samurai have been a staple of traditional Kabuki and Noh theatre, for centuries, and are still popular in modern Japanese films, such as…

If you’ve heard of the 47 loyal Ronin, you must have also heard of the Sengaku-ji Temple where their graves can be found. It is a Buddhist Temple located in the neighborhood of Takanawa, Tokyo which was considered as one of the three major temples in the Edo Era together with Seishoji Temple and Sosenji…