A History of Japan

In the final episode of this season, we take a closer look at some of the creative side of the early Heian Period, including poems, visual arts, and the creation of two Japanese alphabets which are st...

2 Sep 202121min

After the death of Taira Masakado, the court still had to deal with a rebel in the west named Fujiwara Sumitomo. Originally a provincial bureaucrat, Sumitomo abandoned the life of a noble and embraced...

30 Aug 202114min

After his warriors looted the Hitachi provincial capital, Taira Masakado marched his army to every other capital in Kantō, placing the east under his control by force. While he attempted to negotiate ...

26 Aug 202118min

Taira Masakado's ongoing family feud expands as he seeks to avenge himself against his cousin and uncles. When the warriors under his command take things too far, however, he will have to make a diffi...

23 Aug 202120min

In this episode, we follow the early career of a warrior named Taira Masakado, whose various family squabbles help illustrate the day-to-day violence of life in Kantō and whose exploits will earn him ...

19 Aug 202120min

As disasters repeatedly harried the reign of Emperor Daigo, many came to believe that Sugawara Michizane's ghost was the cause of many grave misfortunes. But how could they appease the vengeful spirit...

16 Aug 202113min

Emperor Daigo took the throne and immediately set out to heal the rift between Fujiwara Tokihira and Sugawara Michizane. It would soon become clear, however, that the only thing that could stop this f...

12 Aug 202116min

Emperor Uda's reign began with a political crisis that brought the government to a standstill. Fujiwara Mototsune's power continues to grow in spite of the efforts of both the Tennō and kuge scholar S...

9 Aug 202120min