The myths surrounding Japan’s imperial origins are firmly rooted in matriarchal influences, so why, when faced with a shortage of male heirs, does the country refuse to put a woman on the thrown ...

"Personally, I think an empress is fine," Koizumi reportedly said, becoming the first prime minister to openly express support for the idea of a reigning woman. It may be time: ...

When Empress Suiko took the throne, she was 39 years old; Prince Shōtoku, then known as Umayado, was only around 20. Given the prevailing emphasis on age and experience, ...

Historians say that the first leader of Japan’s imperial family took power more than 1,400 years ago, when Empress Suiko ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 592 AD.

Tradition tells that the priest Chishun established Gakuenji around the time of the Empress Suiko (554-628) though centuries passed before it was first alluded to in literary records.

A Statue Found in the River. In order to understand the origins of the Sanja Matsuri festival we need to go back to the founding of Sensōji, the oldest temple in Tokyo.

Grateful, Empress Suiko requested that a temple be built there. The temple at Furo Waterfall Image: PIXTA/ 安ちゃん Gakuen-ji was founded in 594—making it one of the oldest temples in Japan—and historical ...