Abe no Seimei has become a superhero in Japanese pop culture, a sorcerer akin to the wizard Merlin in the West. As a historical figure, he was an astronomer at the imperial court in Kyoto in the latter half of the 10th century. Serving as an onmyōji, or a yin-yang master, Seimei made full use of his knowledge of the stars in divinations and rituals that mesmerized the emperor and nobility. How did Seimei gain the knowledge he had? With exclusive access to rarely seen documents, we explore the man -- and the science -- behind the myth.
