History of Japan

In the first of a multi-part series on the history of communications technology in Japan, we've got a double-header: the landline telephone and telegraph. How did two technologies we now think of as a...

21 Juli 202335min

This week: Tokugawa Ienari is often considered the worst shogun of the Tokugawa era. Where does his reputation come from, and is it entirely deserved? Sources, show notes, and transcript at this link ...

14 Juli 202338min

This week: Osaka enters the modern era. How did the nation's kitchen become the "capital of smoke," and how did the city's government attempt to remake it for the modern era? Show notes and episode t...

7 Juli 202338min

Apologies for the delayed release! I had some computer issues on my end, but they are now resolved. This week is all about Osaka during the late Edo years, as the system of the Tokugawa shoguns began ...

2 Juli 202338min

I'm very excited to announce my work with Paradox Interactive on a new piece of content for the excellent Europa Universalis IV! Join me as I talk with Alvaro Sanz, one of the fine folks at Paradox, a...

23 Juni 202333min

This week: it's the height of the Edo period, and you sail into Osaka's harbor. What sorts of things might you see? Show notes here.

16 Juni 202340min

This week: how the rise of a powerful religious institution helped draw the attention of one of Japan's greatest warlords to Osaka, and how the city emerged from the ashes of his collapse to become on...

9 Juni 202337min

This week: the start of our multi-part series on the history of Osaka! Supposedly the site where Japan's first emperor began his conquests, the city has a long history stretching back well before it e...

2 Juni 202338min