History of Japan

This week, we profile one of the great Western interpreters of Japan: Lafcadio Hearn. How did some Anglo-Greek kid end up in Japan by way of New Orleans, and why do we still care about him today?

26 Juli 201934min

This week, we round out our look at the celebrated women of Heian Japan with two very different careers: that of the celebrated poet Akazome Emon and the recluse known either as Takasue's daughter or ...

19 Juli 201933min

This week: the start of a two-part series on women in Heian Japan. What makes the social position of women in the Heian Era so distinct from later points of Japanese history, and from the East Asian c...

12 Juli 201932min

This week, we cover the true story of North Korea's abduction of Japanese civilians. Who was taken, and why? What do we know about their lives in the north? And how does their disappearance still affe...

5 Juli 201934min

This week, the effects of the collapsing asset bubble spread as the extent of the damage caused is revealed; Japan's financial and political leaders scramble to respond, while refusing to admit the sc...

21 Juni 201937min

This week, it all starts to come crumbling down. Japan is plagued by scandals that destroy public confidence at the system right as some begin to look around and say, "hey, does this all seem a bit un...

14 Juni 201931min

The Plaza Accord was supposed to fix the US-Japan relationship. How did that work out?

8 Juni 201932min

This week, we're going to talk about life in the bubble era by looking at three snapshots of that experience: a movie, a book, and a poem.

31 Maj 201933min