Behind the Story of Blood and Tears – Creating Japanese Coins
Everything in this illustration–letter, silver coins, copper coins–was created from scratch using Photoshop.
Behind the Story of Blood and Tears – Kyogen Theatre
At the end of episode 4, O-Bun performs the a kyogen play, “Kane no Ne“ for Usaburo and O-Hatsu. The humorous misunderstanding in the storyline arises from the use of puns, a staple of Japanese comedy.
Behind the Story of Blood and Tears – Japanese Snacks: Konpeitō, Taiyaki
It doesn’t take long before we learn O-Bun has quite an appetite, especially for sweets. Here are a couple of her favorites…
Behind the Story of Blood and Tears – Japanese Woodcuts (Ukiyoe)
Most of us appreciate traditional Japanese woodcut paintings (ukiyoe) for their artistic and aesthetic beauty; however, very frequently they served more down-to-earth purposes such as advertising, celebrity worship (yes, fan magazines), social commentary and humor.
Behind the Story of “Blood and Tears” – Social Class in the Edo Period
The initial friction between O-Hatsu and O-Bun arises from differences in their relative social status. Beginning in the 17th century and ending with the Meiji Restoration, people were categorized into roughly four social classes:
Behind the Story of “Blood and Tears” – Yaba Onna
In Episode 2, Usaburo informs O-Bun that a yaba onna is not the type service worker she had in mind. yaba = archery range onna = woman
