History of Japan

This week, we're covering the beginnings of the rise of the samurai class by looking at the wars of the 1000s, as well as the Hogen and Heiji conflicts which secured the role of the military class in national politics. Show notes here . 

This week, we turn our attention to two of the defining institutions of the Heian period, both of which will be very important for us going forward. First are the shoen, or private estates, the growth of which led to the fragmentation and decentralization of the government. The second is the rising power of the warrior class--known to history as the samurai. Show notes here .

This week on the podcast, we're all about literature. We'll be exploring the varieties of poetry and prose that have made the Heian period one of the golden ages of literary flourishing in Japanese history. Show notes here .

This week, we take a step away from politics to talk about two crucial subjects. First, we have the evolution of the Japanese language and its incorporation of Chinese influence. Second, we have the evolution of Buddhism and the arrival of two important sects in the evolution of a distinctly Japanese form of the religion: Tendai and Shingon.  Show notes here . 

This week in the Revised History of Japan: in a bid to strengthen the power of the imperial family, Emperor Kanmu moves the imperial capital one more time to some newfangled place called "Heian-kyo." Plus, the political battle between the imperial family and the Fujiwara clan takes a few more twists. Show notes here .

Apologies for the delayed publication! This week on the podcast: the Nara Period! Japan has a new capital, and surely that means politics are about to change and become more stable, right...? Show notes here .  

Part four of our Revised Introduction to Japanese History is all about the Taika Reforms of 645 CE: what drove them, why do they matter, and why does the more traditional answer to those questions leave some important gaps in our understanding? Show notes here .  

Part 3 of our Revised Introduction to Japanese History: the emergence of recorded history in Japan brings with it some more clarity on what's happening, but also new uncertainties. Show notes here . 

For part 2 of our Revised Introduction to Japanese History: what do we know about the origins of Japan's imperial family? And how does that knowledge line up with the mythology built around the family's rise? Show notes here . 

We're back at the beginning for Part 1 of a new miniseries: A Revised Introduction to Japanese History.  Show notes here .

This week, it's a listener question episode! Let's talk about the topics I'd like to cover, a D&D party made of Japanese prime ministers, the future of the show, and more. Transcript and show notes at this link Support the show on Patreon

This week on the podcast: Why are Japan and South Korea's governments so worked up about some uninhabited rocks in the middle of nowhere? Well, because sometimes those rocks stand for much, much more. Sources, show notes, and transcript at this link Support the show on Patreon

Once again, Isaac underestimates how many episodes it will take to cover something, and so one more time, we're talking travel in Japan! Show notes here .

This week on the podcast, a trip to two seats of the Imperial government. Also on the agenda: A really big Buddha statue, plenty of sake, and some very hungry deer. Map and photos at this link Support the show on Patreon

This week on the podcast, something a little different: My first time traveling purely as a tourist in Japan, with a very special guest star. Photos and a map of spots we discussed at this link Support the show on Patreon

In lieu of a traditional episode, enjoy this one from the archives of my other podcast Criminal Records! 

This week: the rise and demise of radio in Japan, covering everything from the birth of NHK to the origin of sports broadcasting. Tune in and have a listen! Sources, show notes, and transcript at this link Support the show on Patreon

This week: The history of the record player in Japan, from the first prototypes to the dawn of the Japanese pop star. Sources, show notes, and transcription at this link Support the show on Patreon

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 ancient help remake a country opening itself up to the industrial world? Sources, show notes, and transcript at this link Support the show on Patreon

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 Support the show on Patreon

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 transcript at this link Support the show to get access to ad-free episodes and bonus content on Patreon

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 to fall further and further out of equilibrium. How did the "nation's kitchen" weather attempts to alter the system of rice-based taxation that was the backbone of Tokugawa Japan? And why was it the s...

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, about the project and about video games, history, and all the fun intersections thereof.

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 .

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 once again a center of commerce in Japan.  Note: due to a numbering error on my end, I recorded this episode as 487. It is actually 488. This has been corrected for episode posts, but I don't have the t...