42 A History of Modern Japan (Dr. Christopher Harding)

42 A History of Modern Japan (Dr. Christopher Harding)

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we explore the history of modern Japan with Dr. Christopher Harding.

About Dr. Christopher Harding

Dr. Christopher Harding is a cultural historian of Japan and India, journalist, and a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. His latest book, published by Tuttle Publishing, was released in June of 2020 and is titled A History of Modern Japan: In Search of a Nation: 1850 to the Present. Dr. Harding is currently working on his next book, The Japanese: A History in Twenty Lives, which is slated to be published in November of 2020 by Penguin Random House.

Topics Discussed
  • What "picture brides" are
  • The experiences of picture brides in Hawaii
  • The rabbit craze of 1973 that Japan experienced
  • The popularity of things from the West during the Meiji period
  • The introduction of beef to Japan
  • Meiji era ideas about marrying Westerners
  • Censorship in Japanese movies following World War II
  • The pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi
  • The challenges of writing a book that covers such an extensive period of Japanese history
  • The shifting significance of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
  • Books that Christopher Harding is currently working on
  • And much more!
Support on Patreon

If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get access to extra blog posts and additional input on future content. You'd also receive Tony's eternal, profound, and undrying gratitude.

Links, Videos, Etc.

A History of Modern Japan: In Search of a Nation: 1850 to the Present can be purchased using the Amazon affiliate link below.

You can find more information on Christopher Harding and his work on his website.

You can also follow Christopher Harding on Twitter.

If you're interested in checking out some of the work that Christopher Harding has done for BBC Radio, then go to the pages linked below. The first link is for the story that was mentioned in the outro of this episode of Japan Station. It focuses on the prevalence of ghost stories after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The second link is for a story focusing on the misconceptions that many in the West have about Japan. Both are excellent and totally worth a listen.

To learn more about the Hawaii Okinawa Center and the bronze statue of Kyuzo Toyama mentioned during this episode, visit the page linked below.

Episode 41 of Japan Station featuring the rakugo performer Shinoharu Tatekawa can be accessed via the link below.

Special Thanks

Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi)
To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.

Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.

Featured image: Courtesy of Penguin Random House. Photo by Mark Allan.

Follow Japankyo on Social Media Full Show Notes

Avsnitt(215)

10 Japanese Words I Learned from ANIME | Japan Station 127

10 Japanese Words I Learned from ANIME | Japan Station 127

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about Japanese words we learned by watching anime. 👉Topics Discussed How you can use anime, manga and video games to learn Japanese And more! 👉Sub...

21 Maj 202450min

Why Japanese Folklore MATTERS! | Japan Station 126

Why Japanese Folklore MATTERS! | Japan Station 126

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about Japanese folklore with Thersa Matsuura of the Uncanny Japan podcast. 👉Topics Discussed About Japanese folklore About yokai About Japanese superstitio...

1 Maj 202436min

Unexpected Japanese Word Origins: FART | Japan Station 125

Unexpected Japanese Word Origins: FART | Japan Station 125

This time we're taking a deep dive into the history of the Japanese word for fart: onara. Where did it come from? What is its true meaning? What is its link to a secret ancient language spoken hundred...

20 Apr 202411min

The Real Reason I Walked from Kyoto to Tokyo | Japan Station 124

The Real Reason I Walked from Kyoto to Tokyo | Japan Station 124

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about why I decided to walk the old Tokaido Road in 2023 and the impact it had. This episode features a speech I did for the 2024 state convention of the Hawa...

15 Apr 202419min

Why Learning Japanese is POINTLESS (for most..) | Japan Station 123

Why Learning Japanese is POINTLESS (for most..) | Japan Station 123

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about why you shouldn't try to learn Japanese. Topics Discussed How AI and translation software are making it unnecessary to learn Japanese How learning Jap...

8 Apr 202415min

How Akira Toriyama Changed the World & My Life | Japan Station 122

How Akira Toriyama Changed the World & My Life | Japan Station 122

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the manga creator Akira Toriyama and his impact on the world and my life. Topics Discussed About the passing of manga creator Akira Toriyama About the...

1 Apr 202417min

We Bought a Geisha House! About Geisha House Atami | Japan Station 121

We Bought a Geisha House! About Geisha House Atami | Japan Station 121

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking to the owners of Geisha House Atami and learning about what it's like to buy an old house in Japan, restore it and more! Topics Discussed About Geisha...

1 Mars 202446min

My 3 Worst Japanese Mistakes | Japan Station 120

My 3 Worst Japanese Mistakes | Japan Station 120

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about the worst 3 mistakes I made while learning Japanese. Topics Discussed About the history of Kabosu the Shibainu and the Doge meme About three of the wor...

1 Feb 202416min

Populärt inom Utbildning

historiepodden-se
rss-bara-en-till-om-missbruk-medberoende-2
det-skaver
alska-oss
nu-blir-det-historia
johannes-hansen-podcast
not-fanny-anymore
roda-vita-rosen
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
sektledare
rss-viktmedicinpodden
allt-du-velat-veta
rss-foraldramotet-bring-lagercrantz
sa-in-i-sjalen
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
rss-max-tant-med-max-villman
rss-psykoterapipodden
i-vantan-pa-katastrofen
rss-basta-livet
rss-sjalsligt-avkladd