Ox Cart of Japan in the Heian Period
First Class Travel in the Days of Yamabuki The ox can hardly be seen, but it is at the front. The royal personage(s) would sit inside on cushions as they were taken from place to place at a stately pace.
Sword of the Taka Samurai
A six part series that traces sixteen year old Taka Yamabuki as she goes out for the first time, solo, as a samurai.
Telling time in Heian Japan
Japan during the Heian period— 794-1185 C.E., when the Tales of Yamabuki as well as The Tale of Genji are set—had no mechanical clocks. Nevertheless, to run society, people needed to know the time of day, the season, the month, and the day.
How Did the Yamabuki Series Come Into Being?
Ever stare at the shelves at a bookstore or your own home library and think, “I wish there was a novel where the main character was [fill in the blank] and did [fill in the blank] but there’s no book like that. Hmmm. Why, in fact, if such a book existed, I would read it!” …
The Ruins of the Taka Compound
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 …
Cold Heart Release
Cold Heart is with my editor, Laura Lis Scott, for final revisions. It is my longest Yamabuki book to date—longer than the first three combined—over 80,000 words long. The first chapter is succinct and sets the tone and premise: the supernatural—which Yamabuki of course scoffs at—will play a central role in this story, and as always, the …
Music to Write By. Samurai Stories
The soundtrack for Shogun Assassin is where my writing music started. Here Lone Wolf defeats three ninja women who are disguised as dancer acrobats in the circus de soleil of their day. Some writers like to immerse themselves in the place and setting of the action. We put on our music and takes us to …
Dancing in Samurai Film
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 …
Yamabuki’s World — 12th Century Japan
An Inspired Map of 12th century Akitsushima — Japan Yamabuki travels from the Taka compound to the capital of Heian-kyo Readers of today have asked for a map of Yamabuki’s world. However, a 21st century map based on satellite positioning would show a universe totally at odds with what Yamabuki would likely have known. …
Will a Long Sword Best a Shorter Sword? The “Nodachi” double-length sword.
In Kurosawa’s film Seven Samurai, Toshiro Mifune plays the character, Kikuchiyo, is shown hefting a sword so long that it has to be carried over the shoulder like a lance. A nodachi.
Seventh Book, COLD RAIN, 冷雨, Added to the Yamabuki Series
I am bringing out a new Yamabuki book in the next few weeks called Cold Rain, or Reiu 冷雨in Japanese, but you don’t have read or understand Japanese to enjoy this book. This book was created when the original Book 2 Cold Heart became too large to comfortably fit into the series, so the 6 …
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