I’m working on a large piece about Sasebo and the Japanese homefront in World War II, so tonight I’m putting up a short piece about an artillery battery in neighboring Saikai City. Sasebo and Nagasaki Prefecture are close to the…
The Merchants, the Middleman and the Matsuura
Travelers to Nagasaki Prefecture have a lot to choose from when it comes to visiting historic sites. A short list would include the site of a Mongol invasion in the 1200s, trading posts of the 1500s and 1600s, and naval…
Horyuji Temple – Stepping Back in Time
When Dave and I traveled around Japan for New Year, it was a trip full of superlatives. Almost everywhere we went was the most beautiful, oldest, biggest, or best in Japan. Todaiji, which I wrote about in my last article,…
Something Still Lingers…
Visiting Normandy around D-Day is a surreal experience, much more so than I can express in a short post. It’s like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Veteran’s/Remembrance Day combined and translated into French and for now I’ll leave…
Last Higgins Boat Lands on Utah Beach
This article was originally published in 2015 but I felt it merited being reposted here as I’m not in Normandy this year for the anniversary to cover it. For the original post visit: http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/last-higgins-boat-lands-on-utah-beach/ Their version also has some neat links…
Todaiji: Buddhism in Japan
The early and mid-700s was a hard time for early Japan, especially for the Imperial family. There were rebellions, famines, and outbreaks of disease. The Emperor Shomu, who reigned at the time, was forced to change the capital four…
History Layered in Stone: Sassi di Matera
An ancient city built vertically on a mountainside with a grand vista for a backdrop, visiting Matera feels like location scouting for the next Indiana Jones movie or Uncharted game. Matera is a remote town in the mountainous Basilicata region…
Storytelling at Lake Bracciano: The Italian Air Force Museum
There are many fine military aviation museums in the world but living in Italy means I don’t need to fly far to find one. The Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare Italiana, Italian Air Force Museum, located on Lake Bracciano has an…
Delays
Sorry for the lack of update this week. It is my week to update, but I am busy with a new job and moving into a new apartment. Once things settle down next week, we should be updating as usual…
It’s Pronounced “Bah-tah-ahn”
(It’s still 10 PM in Hawaii so technically this is on time. Also, originally posted last year at my comic website www.jakelivescomic.com) At work I’m known for talking about Philippine history, especially in World War II, so I’m occasionally joked…