Images

An 1855 CE woodblock print depicting Namazu, the catfish of Japanese mythology which causes earthquakes and redistributes wealth via his chaos.

The Fushimi Inari Shrine near Kyoto (Heiankyo) is the largest and most important shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice and prosperity. It is famous for the large number of red gates (torii) at the site. The shrine was founded...

An 8th century CE painting possibly of Prince Shotoku (and his two sons), Regent of Japan from 594-622 CE. Stored at the Horyuji temple, Nara.

A 19th century CE drawing of the Shinto shrine complex at Izumo-taisha, Japan.

The honden of the Shinto Izumo-taisha shrine, Shimane, Japan. Founded prior to the 7th century CE, the present building dates to 1744 CE.

The Kokinshu is an imperially commissioned anthology of 1,111 poems with the full, but less familiar, title of Kokin Wakashu, meaning “Collection of Ancient and Modern Waka Poems”. It was compiled by the poet Ki no Tsurayuki in 905 CE and...

Reconstruction of the head of a Homo floresiensis individual, as on display at the Smithsonian's Natural Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Skull of a Homo floresiensis individual.

Location of the island of Flores, Indonesia (highlighted in red).

One of the Colossi of Memnon representing Amenhotep III, 18th Dynasty, 14th century BCE. Luxor, Egypt.