A History of Japan

In this episode, we will follow the further adventures of Minamoto Yoshiie, son of Yoriyoshi, as he is made the governor of Mutsu province and tries to take advantage of a local dispute. Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms! 

Fujiwara Michinaga brought his clan to the absolute apex of its power. Unfortunately for his son and heir Yorimichi, the only way to go was down. Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Apple Books , Bookshop.org , and many other online platforms! 

Tendai Buddhism was on the rise during the later Heian Period, and its internal conflicts were growing more intense. Could anyone heal the rifts that grew between Enryakuji and Miidera, or were the two temples doomed to eternal conflict? For drawings and paintings of Ryogen and Genshin, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now a...

We set court politics aside in this episode to explore the life and work of Murasaki Shikibu, the eleventh-century lady-in-waiting who penned a work which is considered by many scholars to be the world's first novel: The Tale of Genji. For artistic renditions of Murasaki Shikibut and Sei Shonagon, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade...

Under the leadership of Fujiwara Michinaga, the Fujiwara clan reached the absolute peak of its political power. In a time of chaos and uncertainty, he ruthlessly brought every potential rival under his authority and established a supremacy which would last long after he was gone. To see some drawings and paintings of the emperors and kuge featured in this episode, check out the supplemental post!...

The Fujiwara Regents of the late 900s accumulated a vast amount of political power and clout. In this episode, we return to the narrative and follow the misadventures of the Fujiwara leaders as they tightened their grip on power. For images of the Emperors who reigned and the Regents who governed in this episode, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia&apo...

We continue our survey episodes this week by taking a closer look at the state of the clergy and the samurai in the later Heian Period. Big changes are coming for both Buddhism and the warrior caste which will eventually change the nation forever. For pictures of Hakata Bay as well as the monument marking the place where Dazaifu Fortress once stood, check out the supplemental post! Support the sho...

Life in the later Heian may have been a near-constant party for the aristocratic nobility, but what was it like for those on the bottom rungs of Heian society? In this episode we will explore the lives of the common folk who made the lavish lifestyle of the nobles possible through their backbreaking labor. For pictures of pig iron, the special bellows used to refine iron sand, and two swords that...

The first of three survey-style episodes describing life in the later Heian Period. In this episode, we will explore the flowering of Japanese culture that occurred among the nobility of the later Heian Period, as well as their relationships with aesthetics, romance, marriage, and architecture. For pictures of Shinzen-Zukuri architecture and Heian-style kimonos, check out the supplemental post! Su...

In the final episode of this season, we take a closer look at some of the creative side of the early Heian Period, including poems, visual arts, and the creation of two Japanese alphabets which are still in use today. You can read selections from the Kokin Wakashu courtesy of the University of Virginia here. Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at...

After the death of Taira Masakado, the court still had to deal with a rebel in the west named Fujiwara Sumitomo. Originally a provincial bureaucrat, Sumitomo abandoned the life of a noble and embraced the life of a pirate king. For a portrait of Sumitomo as well as maps detailing the inland sea, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade,"...

After his warriors looted the Hitachi provincial capital, Taira Masakado marched his army to every other capital in Kantō, placing the east under his control by force. While he attempted to negotiate a peaceful settlement with Heian-kyō, however, his local rivals organized yet another warband to put his rebellion to an end. For detailed maps and a painting of Masakado's daughter Takiyasha-him...

Taira Masakado's ongoing family feud expands as he seeks to avenge himself against his cousin and uncles. When the warriors under his command take things too far, however, he will have to make a difficult decision which eventually sealed his fate. For a wickedly awesome picture of Masakado trampling some poor enemy warrior underfoot, as well as a map of the various battles in this episode, ch...

In this episode, we follow the early career of a warrior named Taira Masakado, whose various family squabbles help illustrate the day-to-day violence of life in Kantō and whose exploits will earn him the attention of the imperial court in far off Heian-Kyō. For detailed maps of the Kantō Region as well as a portrait of Masakado, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, &...

As disasters repeatedly harried the reign of Emperor Daigo, many came to believe that Sugawara Michizane's ghost was the cause of many grave misfortunes. But how could they appease the vengeful spirit of the scholar whom the court had wrongfully sent to die in obscurity? For photos of the Dazaifu-Tenmangu Shrine and Daigo-ji temple, as well as a portrait of Emperor Daigo,  check out the suppl...

Emperor Daigo took the throne and immediately set out to heal the rift between Fujiwara Tokihira and Sugawara Michizane. It would soon become clear, however, that the only thing that could stop this feud was choosing a winner. For portraits of Sugawara Michizane and Fujiwara Tokihira, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now ava...

Emperor Uda's reign began with a political crisis that brought the government to a standstill. Fujiwara Mototsune's power continues to grow in spite of the efforts of both the Tennō and kuge scholar Sugawara Michizane. Plus a special guest appearance by Emperor Uda's cat! For a portait of Emperor Uda as well as several photos of the beautiful gardens and grounds of Ninna-ji temple,...

After the passing of Fujiwara Yoshifusa, his protege and adopted son Fujiwara Mototsune took the reigns of the Fujiwara clan. Emperor Yozei, however, proved an unsuitable candidate for the Chrysanthemum Throne and Mototsune would need to find a way to remove him while preserving the integrity of the office of Tennō. For portraits of Yoshifusa, Mototsune, Emperor Yozei and Emperor Kōkō, check out t...

Fujiwara Yoshifusa sets a new precedent when he angles to have an eight-year old son of the late Emperor Montoku set upon the throne as Emperor Seiwa. Yoshifusa rulled as Sesshō, a regent governing on behalf of a child, and was the first person to obtain this title who was not a member of the royal family. For a portrait of Emperor Seiwa as well as depictions of Hachiman as a Bodhisattva and the H...

Unified Silla ruled the peninsula throughout the 800s but cracks were already beginning to show in the bureaucracy. A series of weak sovereigns, ambitious courtiers, and the re-emergence of regional factions spelled doom for the monarchs of Silla as the country was split in three. To see a map of these factions' territory, a picture of the Cheonghaejin fortress, and the royal flag of the Gory...

Things go from bad to a little bit better to horrifically worse for the Tang Dynasty as the An Lushan Rebellion kicks into high gear and the empire begins to splinter. We'll follow a few charismatic Emperors who came after and nobly attempted to stabilize the nation, and discuss the ultimate fate of the Tang Dynasty. For battle maps and portraits of some of the Emperors we covered in today&ap...

As Emperors Junna and Nimmyo take the throne respectively, a powerful Kuge clan takes steps to become the  most powerful in all the nation. If you'd like to see the crest of the Fujiwara Clan, as well as portraits of Fujiwara Otsugu and the Emperors Junna and Nimmyo, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Ama...

In this episode, we will examine the origins and development of the two samurai clans who would come to dominate the later Heian Period and eventually vie with one another for control of the nation. For pictures of the crests of these clans, as well as a map of the Kantō, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Ama...

Emperor Heizei takes the throne and things swiftly take a turn for the worse. After he abdicated and his brother Emperor Saga became Tennō, however, he would decide that he may not have been as ready to retire as he believed... For a portrait of Emperor Saga and a map that highlights Yamato Province, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade,&...

In this episode, we will take a short break from the narrative and examine the reign of  Confucian problem-solver Emperor Kammu, arguably the most effective sovereign of the Heian Period. To see a few pictures of reconstructions of Kammu-Tennō's new capital, check out the supplemental post! Support the show  My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon , Bar...