A site excavated at a train yard in Japan is thought to have been a facility that provided food and lodgings to Korean and Chinese enyoys. The facility is mentioned in ancient manuscripts and dates to the 8th or 9th century CE.

In the 13th century, Mongol leader and Chinese ruler Kublai Khan attempted to invade Japan. A witness to the ill-fated attempt may have been found off the coast of Nagasaki in the form of a nearly-intact Chinese ship.

Foxknife Armory produces carved rattan wasters which are designed to more closely resemble period swords than round batons of flat rattan planks. Thomas has a wide variety of eras and cultures represented and has recently (late 2011) started adding hardware to compliment his blades.

The British Museum acts as a backdrop for a new manga publication by Hoshino Yukinobu. Professor Munakata's British Museum Adventure stars "a portly ethnographer-cum-archaeologist who solves crimes and explains civilisations."

Imagine if Monty Python's French castle were actually Japanese... Amusing mash-up of Kurosawa's Throne of Blood and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Come celebrate the closing of the glorious season at this year's Summer's End - Gion Festival - on Saturday, September 10th, 2011 in the Canton of Beau Fleuve, Barony of the Rhydderich Hael.

Those creative cooks out there will want to try the latest recipes for such gourmet fare is Peepshi or Peepza, both containing one major ingredient: peeps! (photos)

Metal workers and jewelry artists will want to take a look at two short documentary films on YouTube showcasing classical Japanese metal artist Ford Hallam as he recreates a piece of decorative metalwork.

This January, seven master stoneworkers from Japan joined a team of "rockknockers" at the International Stoneworkers' Symposium to construct castle ramparts using traditional dry stone masonry techniques in Serra Cross Park, Ventura, California.

The Kyoto City Archaeological Research Institute has been investigating the 16th century residence of warlord Nobunaga Oda. Among other finds, they turned up the lord's private sauna. 

Ii Toonishi-no-kami Katsumori reports that photos from the Far West A&S Coronet Tournament, which took place in Vale de Draco, Camp Zama, Japan, are now available online.

A makeup kit, which includes scissors and tweezers, dating to the Heian Period (794-1192), has been discovered in a tomb in Nishiwaki, Japan. (photo)

Fighting heroically, while looking good and living well, seems to be the theme of an exhibit at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868 runs through January 10 , 2009. (photos)

Anthony J. Bryant has created a website showcasing his research on Japanese armor entitled An Online Japanese Armor manual. A sometime resident of Japan and a member of the Nihon Katchû Bugu Kenkyû Hozon Kai (Japanese Arms and Armour Research and Preservation Society), Bryant offers a history of Japanese armor and very detailed tutorials on creation and use of the armor.

The Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art has acquired a rare 13th-14th century tea jar "widely revered as an icon of Japanese tea culture." The jar, originally made in China, has been used to store tea for over five centuries. (photo)

Longtime SCA member Jay Noyes, a 40-year-old self-described "farmer from Missouri," had a dream. He wanted to bring the medieval combat he remembered from his days in the SCA to Japan, where he moved in 1991. To accomplish this, he created Avalon, a medieval history group, and started Castle Tintagel, a school for western martial arts in Tokyo. Edan Corkill of the Japan Times has the story.(photos)

Fabric Dragon sells many items, but of especial interest to most SCAdians are the linen threads in multiple weights and colors, silk threads in multiple weights, colors, and degree of twist, beads (including those small enough to use easily in embroidery) and pearls of various types.

Archaeologists working on the excavation of Sawayama Castle in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, hope that their discoveries will give new understanding to its owner, Ishida Mitsunari, whose defeat marked the end of the feudal Sengoku (Warring States) period.

Researchers in Nara, Japan are excited by the discovery of shards from an Islamic vase dating to the 8th century at the former location of the Heijokyo palace.

Historical Japan isn't just about elegant tea ceremonies or graceful cherry blossoms. Sometimes it's about 15th century sword fighting. Members of Avalon, a sister organization of the SCA, teach the martial art at Mejiro’s Castle Tintagel, a European medieval martial arts training center in Tokyo. Patrick W Galbraith of Japan Today has the story.

YouTube has video clips available of the Spartan vs Ninja episode of Spike TV's Deadliest Warrior program. The Spartan expert on the program is the SCA's own Sir Balin of Tor (Barry Jacobsen).

Archaeologists in Japan have long known about the existence of the ancient Yamatai kingdom, but they have never been able to find it. Now they are seeking the help of history buffs to solve the mystery.

When the harsh Lady of winter, Yuki-Onna, lays her bleak mantle over the land, join Their Sylvan Majesties, Christopher and Morgen, as they celebrate Mi-no-Hi, the Japanese midwinter Festival of the Snake.

description:
Good friends, on this day in the fall of 1274 on the island of Tsushima (off the coast of Japan), we are about to witness historic events. The Mongols are prepared to invade Japan, and the negotiations and banquet today are an attempt to forestall the invasion. A wealthy Japanese lord has laid on an amazing day of festivities, highlighted by a feast guaranteed to delight all guests!

In honor of the attendees, the feast will feature courses of Mongol and Chinese cuisine, in addition to Japanese. Unfortunately, these important negotiations are destined to be marred by murder(s) most foul! But this is more than a stage play, and you dear friends are more than honored guests. We are counting on you to answer the age old questions “Whodunit?” and “why”? At the end of the afternoon, each guest will be asked to fill out a sheet of paper describing their interpretation of the mystery, and who the culprit(s) is(are). After evaluating the detectives’ work, the murderer(s) will be hauled off in chains to face the Emperor’s Justice, and the detective who solved the crime most correctly will win a prize. Location:
Barony of Sacred Stone (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

Palmyra Traders began merchanting in 1993. They specialize in top quality, hard to find merchandise for the medievalist.

Neal Stephenson reconsiders a storyline from his novel "The Confusion" in light of his recent experiences with rapier [and dagger].

The discovery of a rare full set of chapters of the 11th century The Tale of Genji, believed to be the world's oldest novel, has been found in a private collection in Tokyo.

A 5th century royal Japanese tomb has been made accessible to scholars for research and study for the first time. Koji Takahashi, a Toyama University archaeologist, was one of the experts allowed into the Gosashi tomb, which "is revered as the resting place of Empress Jingu, the semi-legendary wife of the country's 14th emperor."

Those interested in medieval Japanese archery will want to take a look at the OhmyNews website which has a feature on Momote Shiki: Japanese Archery Ritual including photos and a film clip.

Researchers working on a site near Phnom Penh in Cambodia believe they have discovered the remains of a Japanese village dating to the 17th century. Artifacts found include ceramics and kilns.