Interest in the history of Byzantium is constantly growing abroad. Especially in the last decades where new archaeological and historiographical data overturn the most outdated negative stereotypes. Fans of this culture are found all over the world and in particular even in Japan. So I asked a few questions at https://twitter.com/baccheuo (her Twitter account). She is also an artist who draws inspiration from Byzantium and below, in addition to a mini-interview, I added some of her illustrations as a sample.
1) How did you learn about Byzantium and what did you like about it?
-->When I first traveled to Greece, I visited the Monastery of Hosios Loukas. I was impressed by the beauty and the special atmosphere of this monastery and this experience is one of the reasons why I became interested in Byzantium. After that, I have started reading some Byzantine history studies written in Japanese and am learning little by little now.
What is your favourite story/period/ emperor?
-->I am strongly attracted to Anna Komnene and the Komnenos dynasty. Two years ago, a Japanese translation of Alexiad was published, and last year, a very detailed Japanese study on Anna Komnene was published.
Do the Japanese people learn or know anything about Byzantium?
-->To be honest, most people in Japan don't know much about Byzantium. However, there are a certain number of Byzantine history fans in Japan, and there are also excellent researchers. Therefore, I can read and study Byzantine history in Japanese!
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