The Allied occupation changed Japan's social norms in a variety of ways. When the occupation ended, some of those changes would remain while others would fall by the wayside. In the midst of rebuilding, economic chaos, and privation, the Japanese film industry entered its golden age. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
May 18, 2026•36 min•Season 16Ep. 4
Japan's economy expanded rapidly during the postwar rebuild - too rapidly. Hyperinflation created unrest and frustration which the labor movement hoped to harness. Meanwhile, the diet passed a sweeping land reform which radically transformed Japan's agrarian sector. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
May 11, 2026•37 min•Season 16Ep. 3
While the Allied occupation forces had initially supported the restoration of far-left parties to Japan's political arena, the advent of the Cold War led to a reversal of sorts which included de-purging those who had supported imperial-era war crimes and purging some on the left whose loyalty to the US was in doubt. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
May 04, 2026•32 min•Season 16Ep. 2
The aftermath of the Pacific War led to an Allied occupation of Japan, during which time Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) Douglas MacArthur and his subordinates attempted to reorganize the Japanese state away from militaristic authoritarianism and transform it into a contemporary liberal democracy. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Apr 27, 2026•42 min•Season 16Ep. 1
From 1931 to 1945, the empire of Japan was engaging in secret human experimentation in northeast China in violation of multiple international laws. The results of these experiments was felt on the battlefields of China and beyond as the empire became increasingly desperate to recover their advantage in the second world war. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Jan 12, 2026•20 min•Season 15Ep. 24
In this episode, I discuss some of my favorite and not-so-favorite films which depict the events of the second world war. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Jan 04, 2026•19 min•Season 15Ep. 23
In this episode, we explore the different uses of concentration camps during the second world war in both Axis and Allied nations. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Dec 22, 2025•28 min•Season 15Ep. 22
Not everyone in the belligerent nations of the second world war was eager to support their government. This episode is all about those who stood against their own governments during the second world war in both Axis and Allied nations. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Dec 15, 2025•21 min•Season 15Ep. 21
Although the Axis Powers were clearly losing ground throughout late 1944 and early 1945, Japan continued fighting for months after Germany surrendered, often exacting horrific casualties upon both Allied forces and their own civilian populations. The Allies turned to extreme measures in hopes of forcing the unconditional surrender which they sought, culminating in the first use of nuclear weapons in history. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barn...
Dec 11, 2025•38 min•Season 15Ep. 20
Prime Minister Tojo Hideki planned two major offensives for 1944 which he hoped would reverse the Empire of Japan's fortunes in the Pacific War while Allied forces continued to make costly but successful incursions onto Japanese territory. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Dec 08, 2025•33 min•Season 15Ep. 19
Resistance grows in the Philippines as Allied forces in the Pacific continue making incursions onto Japanese territory. Meanwhile, a new offensive effort in China as well as a fresh German offensive against Russia threatens to tilt the war back in favor of the Axis Powers. If you'd like to read more about the women who fought in the Filipino resistance to the Japanese occupation, get Pinay Guerrilleras here! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barn...
Dec 04, 2025•29 min•Season 15Ep. 18
After their victory at the Battle of Midway, Allied forces in the Pacific took the initiative in the South Pacific. However, the ensuing Guadalcanal campaign would prove to be challenging both on land and in nearby waters. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Dec 01, 2025•32 min•Season 15Ep. 17
While the first half of 1942 was characterized by small-scale raids and minor skirmishes between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific, the summer of 1942 witnessed one of the largest and most significant naval battles in world history as the Imperial Japanese Navy tried to lure US aircraft carriers into a trap only to find themselves trapped as a result. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , B...
Nov 20, 2025•37 min•Season 15Ep. 16
With Imperial Japan's military panicking over the oil embargo from the United States, the leaders of the Empire of Japan decided to respond by launching one of the most famous and deadliest surprise attacks in history. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Nov 17, 2025•30 min•Season 15Ep. 15
As Nazi Germany took the offensive against Poland and the second World War began in Europe, Japan chose to continue its path of closely aligning with fascist western powers in hopes of obtaining powerful allies whom they believed would win this latest global conflict. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Nov 13, 2025•32 min•Season 15Ep. 14
Japan's colonial possessions throughout the south Pacific proved very profitable, but the close proximity to the colonies of the United States set both nations on a path toward eventual conflict. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Nov 10, 2025•26 min•Season 15Ep. 13
As the Second Sino-Japanese War raged on, domestic matters in Japan took a turn for the worse as Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro proposed applying colonial policies to the home provinces in the name of supporting the war effort. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Nov 06, 2025•26 min•Season 15Ep. 12
The Japanese Imperial Army managed to take Wuhan but found it difficult to keep up their previous momentum as Chinese defensive efforts and counter-insurgency begin to wear on the Japanese supply line and threaten to reverse their previous gains. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Nov 03, 2025•28 min•Season 15Ep. 11
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident which sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy would press on to take Shanghai, Nanjing, and Xuzhou, driving Chinese defenders back and committing horrific war crimes and atrocities along the way. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 30, 2025•25 min•Season 15Ep. 10
Competing ideas about the Emperor's identity and proper place in the Japanese political order would become especially heated during the tumultuous 1930s and radical adherents of the Imperial Way Faction in the military engaged in a well-organized coup which nearly toppled the civilian government. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 27, 2025•28 min•Season 15Ep. 9
The Empire of Japan's decision to break with liberal democracies in favor of rising fascist powers was driven, in part, by the successes enjoyed by said fascist powers throughout the 1930s. In this episode, we discuss how their leaders managed to consolidate that power in the first place. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 23, 2025•30 min•Season 15Ep. 8
After alienating the western liberal democracies with whom they had previously enjoyed friendly relations, the Empire of Japan began exploring new friendship and alliances with the growing fascist powers which were emerging in Europe as the Second Sino-Japanese war began in 1937. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 20, 2025•28 min•Season 15Ep. 7
Following its investigation into the Mukden Incident and subsequent Japanese occupation of northeast China, the League of Nations demands that Japan withdraw its troops and return the territory they've seized. Japan responds by withdrawing from the League of Nations. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 16, 2025•26 min•Season 15Ep. 6
Japan's conflict with China flares up once again with the Shanghai Incident. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, ultra-nationalist terrorists engage in a widespread campaign of assassination and attempted coups. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 13, 2025•26 min•Season 15Ep. 5
Three years after the assassination of Zhang Zuolin and attempted framing of the KMT, a group of higher-ranking officers within the Kwantung Army staged another false flag attack, which resulted in their conquest of northeast China and the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 09, 2025•26 min•Season 15Ep. 4
In 1928, a group of officers in the Kwantung Army attempted to frame the KMT for their own assassination of Zhang Zuolin. The failed attempts to enforce accountability and discipline which followed set the stage for similar incidents in the future. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 06, 2025•24 min•Season 15Ep. 3
Two years prior to the much larger Great Depression, Japan experienced its own financial crisis thanks to the Great Kanto Earthquake, government bonds, and a panicky populace. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Oct 02, 2025•24 min•Season 15Ep. 2
The elevation of Emperor Showa was accompanied by a wave of reactionary backlash against Taisho Democracy. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Sep 29, 2025•25 min•Season 15Ep. 1
Quin Cho's latest book "The Rise of the Kwantung Army" is coming out on September 18. In this special interview episode, we discuss his upcoming book and the role that gekokujo played in Japan's invasion of northeast China. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms!...
Sep 25, 2025•58 min
Kaila Yu's memoir "Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty" is coming out on August 19. In this special interview episode, we discuss her upcoming book as well as one chapter which specifically highlights the inaccuracies and falsehoods found in the popular novel "Memoirs of a Geisha." Purchase Kaila Yu's Memoir from Bookshop.org by clicking here. It will also available wherever books are sold. (Not an affiliate link) Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade,"...
Aug 18, 2025•23 min•Season 14Ep. 16
