Episode 242 - Castaway
This week, the story of Nakahama Manjiro, the castaway turned American whaler turned gold miner turned samurai turned English professor.
Episodes
History of Japan
This podcast, assembled by a former PhD student in History at the University of Washington, covers the entire span of Japanese history. Each week we'll tackle a new topic, ranging from prehistoric Japan to the modern day.
Episodes
Episode 241 - All in the Family, Part 3
This week, we conclude our up close look at the Shimazu family and Satsuma domain with a consideration of how the domain fit into Edo society, and its position in modern Japan.
Episode 240 - All in the Family, Part 2
This week, we cover the sengolu era history of the Shimazu clan, and their meteoric ascent from minor lords to major ones in the span of a few decades. Plus, the Tokugawa and the Shimazu, the role of sugar in the Shimazu clan's fortunes, and the invasion of the Ryukyu islands. It's a packed episode!
Episode 239 - All in the Family, Part 1
This week, we start a short series on the history of one of the most influential fiefdoms in Japanese history (Satsuma) and the family who ruled it (the Shimazu). How did this little chunk of land on the edge of Japan grow to national importance?
Episode 238 - Hell is Empty
This week, we tackle the evils of Unit 731 -- its history, its experiments, and its ultimate escape from any real justice.
Episode 237 - Princess, Lover, Soldier, Spy
This week, we take on the scintillating story of the Manchurian princess Kawashima Yoshiko, who grew up in Japan before becoming an agent for Japanese intelligence.
Episode 236 - Never Look Away
This week, we discuss the career of Japan's most legendary director, Kurosawa Akira. From humble, middle class beginnings, our story will take us through some of his most notable films, and include detours into the lives of Mifune Toshiro, George Lucas, and even Francis Ford Coppola!
Episode 235 - Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
This week: the story of a relatively unimportant man who appears briefly and dies spectacularly, and the long chain of events that led to those moments. Politics, betrayal, war, and a dog -- what's not to love?
Episode 234 - The Oldest Profession
Note: Since this week we're talking about the sex trade, I've taken the precaution of giving this episode an explicit tag. However, it does not include any more language than usual; it's just a precaution because iTunes can get pretty finicky about this stuff. So with that in mind, let's get down and dirty into the world of prostitution!
Episode 233 - A People Apart
This week, we tackle the history of the Burakumin. Where did this outcast group come from? Why does discrimination against them remain an issue? What steps has the government taken to protect them, and what steps have they taken to get organized and push back? AMA link here .
Episode 232 - A Thief in the Night
This week, we spend an entire history podcast talking about someone who may not even have actually existed -- the legendary thief Ishikawa Goemon. The live link for the AMA is: https://whatpods.com/ama/ history-of-japan/ ....
Episode 231 - The Measure of an Emperor, Part 6
This week, we wrap up the life of Japan's 124th Emperor. What, in the end, did it all mean?
Episode 230 - The Measure of an Emperor, Part 5
How does a man raised to be a military autocrat become a democratic emperor in just a few short years? Or is that even possible?
Episode 229 - The Measure of an Emperor, Part 4
This week: Hirohito goes to war. What did he know, how much did he direct things himself, and ultimately, how much responsibility does he bear for the greatest cataclysm in the history of East Asia?
Episode 228 - The Measure of an Emperor, Part 3
This week, we take a look at Hirohito's life before World War II. What kind of ruler was Japan's new emperor when the chips came down?
Episode 227 The Measure of an Emperor, Part 2
Young Hirohito goes on trips, serves his first turns in politics, and gets married! Join us as we look at the future emperor's first steps into the life that he never really had a chance to choose for himself.
Episode 226 - The Measure of an Emperor, Part 1
Today, we dive into the boyhood of Emperor Hirohito. What's it like growing up always knowing that your life is a political tool? How do you process your middle school principal killing himself in a show of loyalty to your grandfather?
Episode 225 - Breaking the Bank
This week, we cover a famous caper that probably sent an innocent man to jail for nearly 40 years. There's poisoning, plotting, and conspiracy galore as we discuss the Teigin Incident.
Episode 224 - Crime and Punishment, Part 2
This week, we cover the features of modern Japanese policing, from the friendly face of the koban police boxes to the harsh realities of Japan's rules on interrogation.
Episode 223 - Crime and Punishment, Part 1
This week: how has Japan been policed? Was there really such a thing as a samurai cop? Was their hair as good as the samurai cop from the iconic 1991 film? And how did policework in Japan change after the Meiji Restoration? We will answer all but one of these questions; I leave it to you to guess which one.
Episode 222 - The Dog Shogun
This week: was Japan's 5th Tokugawa shogun really as crazy as everybody says? Spoilers: no.
Episode 221 - The Monster with 21 Faces
This week, we cover a crime wave that shocked 1980s Japan, and proved that postwar society was perhaps not quite all it was cracked up to be. Also, there's a lot of poisoned candy.
Episode 220 - The All Seeing Eye
This week, we investigate the great Zen master Dogen, who was something of an eccentric in his own time but remains one of the greatest Buddhist thinkers in Japanese history.
Episode 219 - The Red Dawn, Part 3
Turns out, getting involved in a land war in Asia really is one of the classic blunders. This week, how did it all pan out?
Episode 218 - The Red Dawn, Part 2
How did Japan fit into the broader framework of the Allied intervention? What were the Japanese trying to accomplish in Siberia? And who was even in charge of this damned thing? All that and more, this week.
Episode 217 - The Red Dawn, Part 1
100 Years ago, Japan intervened in Russia to create a buffer state against the new Soviet Union. So how did that work out? We'll start answering that question this week.
Episode 216 - The Scourge of the Gods, Part 7
This week: why is a military failure worth 7 episodes of our time? The legacy of the Mongol invasions of Japan, explained.
Episode 215 - The Scourge of the Gods, Part 6
The 1281 invasion is at the gates (or the seawall, I suppose). How will round 2 play out?
Episode 214 - Scourge of the Gods, Part 5
This week, we prepare for round two. How are the Japanese getting ready for another invasion, and how does that new invasion begin?
Episode 213 - The Scourge of the Gods, Part 4
This week, we cover exciting topics like meteorology and internal Mongol family politics! But wait, there's also a bit of Zen theology dashed in to spice things up! It's an eclectic week on the podcast for sure!