Christopher Kincaid's Blog, page 26

The Diary of Lady Murasaki

Murasaki Shikibu wasn’t her name. Like many female writers in history, we don’t know her real name. Murasaki, however, is a nickname derived from her greatest work The Tale of Genji. She lived during the Heian period, a cultural flowering period in Japan between 794-1192. She was a contemporary with Sei Shonagon and Akazome Emon, two of…

Miyamato Musashi’s “The Way to be Followed Alone” (Dokkodo)

Miyamato Musashi’s work “The Way to be Followed Alone,” or Dokkodo, is the samurai’s lesser known work next to The Book of Five Rings (Gorin no Sho). Musashi is a ronin, or masterless samurai, and considered to be the best samurai who lived. Musashi was born around 1584. His father was named Hirata Munisai, and his mother was called…

Tea Time with Sakuraco

I’m not a subscription box person, but when Sakuraco reached out to me with a demo offer, I thought I’d give it a try. Sakuraco is a company that mails monthly subscription boxes stuffed (and I do mean stuffed!) with goodies from Japan. The box I received was designed for a tea for two. I…

Hinamatsuri, an Anime Review

I rarely find a comedy anime that strikes me as funny. Most have amusing moments amid the tired, over-trod comedy tropes (nude jokes, breast jokes, and the like). but few strike me as funny. Hinamatsuri made me laugh quite often with its antics. Of course, the show has structural problems and over-uses some of its…

Can a Christian be an Otaku?

Recently, I’ve had questions from younger Christians who are conflicted about their obsession with anime and their Christian faith. Liking anime and being a Christian are not mutually exclusive. Yet, many Christians and Christian parents have more concerns surrounding anime than American media content. I’ve already addressed the sexual concerns surrounding anime, so I won’t…

Buy Kanzashi for $0.99

Download the eBook for $0.99 from August 18 – 25th. Mameko never thought she’d witness a murder.Her life consists of songs, stories, lessons, and the other social demands of a maiko. Mameko tries to be a good daughter and follows her mother’s guidance, though she is known to rebel against tradition when she deems it…

How To Stop Being a Weeb, a 12 Step Program

Weebs or Weeaboo are defined by a lack of social boundaries, social skills, and an unhealthy obsession with Japanese media culture. The label is meant to be derogatory, but over time people have embraced it as an identity label. Weebs, however, lack a healthy outlook on life. The lack of social intelligence can hurt their…

A Woman Behind History: Kitanomandokoro

  Kitanomandokoro was the first wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the men who helped unify Japan during the Warring States period. Kitanomandokoro proves an interesting person, namely because we have her voice and can see her influence. She had a special marriage of respect and even love with Hideyoshi as evidenced by surviving letters.…

Tales from Old Japan Free Download

  Download Tales from Old Japan  for free from August 9 to August 10th. This collection of over 170 stories provides a glimpse into Japan’s rich folk literature. Japanese folktales include mysterious creatures often familiar to those of us in the West, such as kappa and foxes. But the tales also include stories about tools…

The Fox Brothers and Old Tanuki’s Trick Chapter 7

This is the final chapter of the story. Mitsu imagined the spears sinking into his fur and flesh. He imagined Father and Mother finding his body, broken beside Kitsu’s body. Would their blood stain their red coats? Or would they look peaceful lying beside each other? Either way, part of him pitied the humans. Father’s…