The Japanese warrior chieftain Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) founded Japan's first military government, or shogunate, in 1185 and thereby inaugurated the medieval period of Japanese history, which lasted until 1573. In the 12th century, Japan was still...

Kabuki, while being one of Japan's three great classical theatre genres, has also benefited from dramatic works written especially for it by a variety of playwrights in the modern period. These are referred to as shin kabuki or "new kabuki." Mayama Seika is...