History of Japan

This week, we're starting a longform look at Japan's most prominent political dynasty: the Hatoyama family, which has been a presence in Japan's electoral politics from the jump. Today is all about th...

24 Mar 202340min

This week, we're covering the art of rakugo--storytelling with a twist! How did rakugo emerge from the history of Buddhism, and what has enabled its enduring popularity where contemporary entertainmen...

17 Mar 202336min

How did one man's determination to get paid end up producing one of the best records we have of a pivotal moment in Japanese history? Show notes here.

10 Mar 202335min

This week: Japan's empire in Micronesia comes apart under the face of both the miscalculations of military leadership and the contradictions that had haunted it from the jump. Show notes here.

3 Mar 202335min

So far, we've talked about how Micronesia came under Japanese rule, but what was Japan's rule over the region like?  Show notes here.

24 Feb 202337min

When World War I began, many among the Japanese leadership were hesistant to take advantage of the opportunity to move into Micronesia. What changed their minds, and how were they able to square a col...

17 Feb 202335min

Japan would seize control of German Micronesia in the fall of 1914, but Japanese interest in the region goes back centuries further. This week: how did Japan get from disinterest in the nebulously def...

10 Feb 202336min

This week: the bizarre story of an attempted coup in Korea that, along the way, touches on everything from Japanese liberalism to the birth of overseas empire.  Show notes here.

3 Feb 202336min