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References

This is a quick list of sites and links that I have drawn on in the creation of this game.  I encourage others to browse them as well for inspiration and ideas.  Note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but I will be adding to it continuously.

Web Sites

Language and Names

• An outstanding and continually expanding overview of the Japanese language. I cannot recommend this site enough.
• Names and meanings.
• Another good naming dictionary.
• Writing Japanese characters.
• Katakana tutor.
• How suffixes (-chan, -san, -dono) are used in Japanese.
• How to talk like a samurai!

History

• A complete timeline of Japanese history.
• More general historical information.
• Data on Japanese sword signatures.
• An overview of many Japanese cultural things.

Geography

• The stations of the Tokaido Road, which linked Kyoto and Edo (the "old" and "new" capitols).
• Images of all 55 stations on the Tokaido Road.
• Another small site on the Tokaido Road.
• A general history of travel in Japan.
• Edo, the new capitol of Japan.

Martial Arts

• The Budo Page -- general martial-arts info.
• http://www.pabudden.com/kodokan/terminology.shtml - another useful page of martial-arts info.

Women

• If you're interested in playing a female character, here are some women in Japanese history that may be of interest.
• Another page about women and martial arts (very short).
• Details on geisha/courtesans.
• Another good overview of geisha, the "caged birds"
• Geisha's hair ornaments
• Very short history of the geisha
• Large, very completist site about geisha history and lore
• Even more geisha info!
• On male courtesans

Daily Life

• The government and class system.
• A collection of ukiyo-e images showing daily life.
• Children's toys from Japan (no, not Ultraman figures!)
• Dolls that adults used.

Arts, Crafts and Food

• Information on clothing.
• Another site about period clothing.
• General information about kimono.
• Musical instruments
• Pottery and kilns
• Smoke-fired claywork.
• Common Japanese recipes.
• Quick rundown of Japanese cuisine.
• Silkmaking.
• Tofu recipes.

Religion

• General information about Japanese mythology.
• On Buddhism in Japan (a very complete reference to deities and manifestations of Buddha).
• Kitsune Lore
• Inari, the God of the Harvest
• Chinese Zodiac info

Miscellaneous

• A page for a live-action samurai game that has tons of information.
• A great image gallery of samurai through the ages.
• Modern-day museums in Japan.

Maps

Thanks to the folks at Gold Rush Games, I have a few maps here that may come in handy, originally devised for their Sengoku game system.  Scroll down to "Maps."  (You'll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to see these.)

Books

Everyday Life in Traditional Japan.  This is probably the most complete and concise guide to the way life was lived in traditional Japan by just about everyone.  I strongly recommend this book; it's about as close to an all-in-one as you can get.  You can get this real cheap used. [Amazon] [Half.com]

Secrets of the Samurai. Incredibly thorough, detailed, and illustrated book on just about everything samurai. Also strongly recommended. [Amazon] [Half.com]

Movies

Gate of Hell. A gorgeous production, great attention to period detail.  A samurai demands the hand of a married woman as payment for a great service he rendered in time of conflict. The woman, just as strong willed as he, prefers death to dishonor. [Half.com]

Gojoe Reisen-ki.  Another mindblowing samurai movie, about the last of the Heike clan returning to the earth to claim his revenge.  Directed by Sogo Ishii (one of Japan's most famous cult directors).

Gohatto.  Set in the years when the Tokugawa shogunate was beginning to crumble, this is actually a sardonic story about the "comradely loves of the samurai" (i.e., homosexuality).  It's good as a portrait of the day-to-day life of garrisoned bushi or warriors.

The Hidden Fortress.  Two bumbling farmers, a fortune in gold, a feisty princess, and a general in exile -- it's the movie that inspired Star Wars.  It's also a lot of fun.  [Amazon] [Half.com]

Kwaidan. A collection of four Japanese ghost stories. Incredible-looking movie steeped in atmosphere, and a good quick-and-dirty intro to some of the more popular Japanese horror tales. [Amazon] [Half.com]

The Seven Samurai.  Samurai and peasants struggle to protect a tiny village from bandits.  A classic in every sense of the word and a good way to get a feel for an era. [Amazon] [Half.com]

Ugetsu.  A grim but beautifully photographed story about ambition in the lower classes. [Amazon] [Half.com]