The 4 Best History of Japan Podcast Episodes
1) Episode 206 - Across the Sea, Part 2
This week, we take a closer look at early communities of Nikkeijin -- people of Japanese descent -- in the United States and Hawaii.
2) Episode 454 - That All my Dreams Might Not Prove Empty
This week: in 1940, a manuscript lost for over 600 years is recovered from the archives of the Imperial family. Within it lies the story of a fascinating woman, and her journey from imperial concubine...Show More
3) Episode 2 - A Kingdom Called Wa
In this second episode, we discuss the earliest periods of Japanese history (the Jomon, Yayoi and Tumulus/Kofun periods), covering the years from prehistory to 538 AD. It's a long haul to cover!
4) Episode 3 - The First Capitol
Today we will be discussing the Asuka and Nara periods, and the formation of a centralized, Chinese-style government based in a permanent capitol city. There's intrigue, backstabbing, and stories abo...Show More
5) Episode 592 - The Artist of the Open Road, Part 2
This week, we're covering Hiroshige's emergence as an artist, which took 20 years after he finished his apprenticeship in the Utagawa school. Why the long gap? And what changed to finally allow him to...Show More
6) Episode 591 - The Artist of the Open Road, Part 1
This week, we're starting a new miniseries on the life of one of the most famous artists in Japanese history: Utagawa Hiroshige. We'll start off this week with a general discussion of the world of uki...Show More
7) Episode 590 - An Interview with Dr. Mike Freiling
This week on the podcast, something completely different! I'm getting some help talking about poetry from Mike Freiling, whose new translation of Hyakunin Isshu, entitled One Hundred Poems of Old Japa...Show More
8) Episode 589 - The All-Seeing Eye, Part 6
Our final episode in this miniseries brings conspiracism in Japan to the present day, as we discuss a wave of antisemitic conspiracy theorists from the 80s and 90s and the impact of the internet on co...Show More
9) Episode 588 - The All-Seeing Eye, Part 5
This week, we're covering the postwar "Red Scare" in Japan, which has roots going back to the early 20th century but which was boosted during the postwar era by right-wing politicians and even members...Show More
10) Episode 587 - The All-Seeing Eye, Part 4
This week, conspiracism takes a new twist in Japan, from paranoid worries about Christianity to paranoid beliefs in "Western encirclement". How did this new form of conspiracism help drive Japan's des...Show More