History of Japan

This week, we discuss the career of Japan's most legendary director, Kurosawa Akira. From humble, middle class beginnings, our story will take us through some of his most notable films, and include de...

21 Apr 201835min

This week: the story of a relatively unimportant man who appears briefly and dies spectacularly, and the long chain of events that led to those moments. Politics, betrayal, war, and a dog -- what's no...

14 Apr 201828min

Note: Since this week we're talking about the sex trade, I've taken the precaution of giving this episode an explicit tag. However, it does not include any more language than usual; it's just a precau...

7 Apr 201831min

This week, we tackle the history of the Burakumin. Where did this outcast group come from? Why does discrimination against them remain an issue? What steps has the government taken to protect them, an...

24 Mars 201828min

This week, we spend an entire history podcast talking about someone who may not even have actually existed -- the legendary thief Ishikawa Goemon.    The live link for the AMA is:  https://whatpods.c...

17 Mars 201826min

This week, we wrap up the life of Japan's 124th Emperor. What, in the end, did it all mean?

10 Mars 201832min

How does a man raised to be a military autocrat become a democratic emperor in just a few short years? Or is that even possible?

3 Mars 201829min

This week: Hirohito goes to war. What did he know, how much did he direct things himself, and ultimately, how much responsibility does he bear for the greatest cataclysm in the history of East Asia?

24 Feb 201830min