heian japan

How come Yamabuki encounters so much cold?

First Class Travel in the Days of Yamabuki

There were always six “hours” of daylight and six “hours” of night irrespective of the time of year.

Many have searched for the ruins of the Taka compound that existed 850 years ago in ancient O-Utsumi prefecture–the alleged site is shown in this photo. But there is no trace of the clan. Not even the footings of the giant estate houses that overlook Great Bay. No trace of the gardens and orchards where Yamabuki and Nakagawa walked when the girl of eleven decided to follow the warrior’s path....

Painting the life of the common people in a world where the major daily chore was finding enough food, can lead readers to think they are indeed being presented with a bleak world. And yet, the Japanese culture has always been one of songs and dance and laughter. Some genre readers are excited by the swordplay, but wonder why the farmers (they are never called “peasants” in Yamabuki books) are included....