The First Shogun

Send feedback on the podcast! In this final episode of the podcast series, we see how Minamoto Yoritomo finally achieves his dream of  becoming overall ruler - or Shogun - of Japan. But first he must deal with the last remaining threats to his authority - starting with his own brother, the legendary samurai general: Yoshitsune! Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and sound effects from...

Send feedback on the podcast! In this special episode recorded in the ancient capital of Kyoto, we'll go in search of the last survivor of the Heike clan - the Empress Kenreimon-in. Visiting the key sites in her life, we'll trace what happened to this remarkable woman who witnessed the tragic death of her son - the boy Emperor Antoku - at the great sea battle of Dannoura, and was taken p...

Send feedback on the podcast! The fate of the nation hangs in the balance as two great samurai clans face each other in the seas of Dannoura. Heike and Genji fight for their existence in one of the greatest battles of medieval Japan. Only one clan will survive... Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and sound effects from Pond 5: www.pond5.com The First Shogun podcast website: https://fi...

Send feedback on the podcast! The great samurai clash between the Genji and the Heike reaches its dramatic conclusion off the southern coast of Japan, at the great sea battle of Dan-no-ura! The Heike are confident of victory, but can the Genji general Yoshitsune ride his luck one more time, and change the course of Japanese history? Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and sound effects...

Send feedback on the podcast! It is late winter in the year 1185, and the Genji general Yoshitsune is leading a group of samurai through a raging storm at sea. Yoshitsune has been given an imperial command to seek out and destroy the Heike - the powerful samurai clan that has taken charge of the infant Emperor and the Three Imperial Treasures. But to take on the Heike at their island stronghold of...

Send feedback on the podcast! After their victory at the battle of Ichi-no-Tani, the Genji present their trophies - and a valuable captive - in a parade through the streets of the Japanese capital. Meanwhile the surviving Heike clansmen recover their strength in a fortress on the island of Yashima, where they are given an ultimatum by the Emperor: return the Three Imperial Treasures in exchange fo...

Send feedback on the podcast! The young Genji general Yoshitsune receives a command from the Retired Emperor: Protect the imperial line and retrieve the Three Sacred Treasures! But to achieve his mission, Yoshitsune must first face the might of the Heike army, which is now just one day from the capital... Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and sound effects from Pond 5: www.pond5.com T...

Send feedback on the podcast! Yoshitsune rides into battle—and into legend—while the Heike scramble to save the Emperor and the imperial treasures, before the Genji can capture them. The momentous clash on the beach between two samurai clans will go down in history as one of the great turning points of the Gempei War: The Battle of Ichi-no-Tani! Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and s...

Send feedback on the podcast! In this episode we recap the story so far: Which key characters remain? Who is in control of the capital - and of the Emperor? And how will Yoritomo achieve his dream of becoming Japan's first Shogun? We'll explore the balance of power in medieval Japan as two great samurai clans - Genji and Heike - prepare to face each other in their final battles for contr...

Send feedback on the podcast! An envoy from the capital brings shocking news: The Emperor has been attacked! Yoritomo learns that his reckless cousin Kiso Yoshinaka - the Asahi Shogun - has burned down the Emperor's residence and is threatening to make a truce with the Heike. So he accepts the Emperor's summons and sends his half-brother Yoshitsune to bring his cousin to heel. Meanwhile...

Send feedback on the podcast! A samurai rider charges through the streets of the Japanese capital, carrying urgent news: After his triumph at the Battle of Kurikawa Pass, the Genji general Kiso Yoshinaka is approaching the capital with 50,000 troops. But lying in wait for Kiso is a new challenge: a wily and scheming Retired Emperor who is not prepared to give up his power so easily. Written and pr...

Send feedback on the podcast! Two massive samurai armies clash in a battle that will decide the future of Japan. Genji vs Heike - for the first time, the two samurai clans are about to clash. In a mountain valley, the first great battle of the Gempei War will take place.  Who will emerge as victor? Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and sound effects from Pond 5: www.pond5.com The Firs...

Send feedback on the podcast! The TV series "Shogun" brings Japanese history to life, but who was the first Shogun? In this season of The First Shogun , Sean Bermingham explores the dramatic rise of the Genji, Japan's most famous samurai clan. We begin the story in 1180, at the start of the Gempei War, an epic 5-year clash between two samurai families that shook medieval Japan and l...

Send feedback on the podcast! The Lord of the Heike, Kiyomori, has a disturbing vision that sets in motion a shift in the balance of power between the two great samurai families of Heike and Genji. In a fit of anger he then orders an attack on Japan's greatest Buddhist temple. The reason? The temple monks had dared to play a game of football with "Kiyomori's head" - an act of d...

Send feedback on the podcast! Shocking news reaches Kamakura from Japan's capital: an unexpected turn of events that has thrown the nation into chaos. Meanwhile, in the highlands of central Japan a new force is rising, and there are tales of a female samurai who cuts down everyone in her path. Yoritomo sets out from Kamakura to meet this new challenge to his authority, and comes face to face...

Send feedback on the podcast! As we've reached the halfway point in the rise to power of Yoritomo, in this episode we take a break from the main story to look at some of the main books, films, TV shows, and podcasts that deal with this period of early Japanese history. The episode includes tips and suggestions for anyone who's interested to know more about the Gempei War and the life of...

Send feedback on the podcast! Lord Kiyomori has sent a massive army to suppress the Genji uprising in the east led by Minamoto no Yoritomo. But for now Yoritomo has a more immediate threat: outnumbered ten to one, he prepares to confront a force of 3,000 samurai on the slopes of Mount Ishibashi. Yoritomo's response to this attack will pass into legend - and will lead to the war between Genji...

Send feedback on the podcast! Japan, 1180: The samurai warlord Kiyomori is at the height of his power - he has exiled or executed his opponents, imprisoned the retired Emperor, and has begun his grandest project - the creation of a new capital city in his image. But hundreds of miles to the east, the exiled Yoritomo is planning to strike back against Kiyomori's Heike. He launches a daring nig...

Send feedback on the podcast! An imperial decree urges rebellion against the Heike clan. As the Genji heir Yoritomo considers his response, a veteran Genji living in the capital - Minamoto no Yorimasa - takes matters into his own hands, and leads the first serious challenge to Lord Kiyomori's authority. The uprising will lead to the first pivotal moment of the Gempei War - the legendary Battl...

Send feedback on the podcast! In this episode Yoritomo - the future First Shogun of Japan - falls in love with Hojo Masako - one of the most famous women in Japan's history. As they celebrate a secret wedding, Yoritomo hears of a strange dream that may be a prophesy of his future. Meanwhile, Kiyomori executes a conspirator with a brutality that shocks even his own supporters, and exiles three...

Send feedback on the podcast! In this episode we follow the teenager Yoritomo - the future First Shogun of Japan - as he begins his exile on Leech Island in Izu province, where he experiences both love and tragedy in the household of his captor. Meanwhile, back in the Capital, Lord Kiyomori of the Heike continues to secure his position as the country's most powerful landlord. But a secret mee...

Send feedback on the podcast! In this episode we follow the early life of Yoshitsune, the Luke Skywalker of medieval Japan! Saved from execution by his mother's courage, Yoshitsune was exiled at an early age to a remote temple, where, according to legend, he learned swordsmanship and battle strategy from the great Goblin King Sojobo. It was the start of a long journey that will eventually see...

Send feedback on the podcast! It is now the year 1160 and Yoshitomo, the head of the Genji samurai clan, is preparing an audacious plot to topple the Emperor's chief advisor Shinzei, the man who ordered the deaths of his father and brothers. But can he carry out his plan in time before his deadliest rival, Lord Kiyomori of the Heike Clan, returns to the Capital? Key figures in this episode: T...

Send feedback on the podcast! It is the year 1156 in the Japanese imperial capital. Two rival Emperors face each other across the Kamo river, each supported by warriors of the Heike and Genji clans. Watching is the nine-year-old Yoritomo. One day he will become Japan’s first Shogun. But for now, all he can do is hope that his father has chosen the right side. Key figures in this episode: West of t...

Send feedback on the podcast! The first Shogun - Yoritomo of the Genji - was born more than 800 years ago. In this episode we explore the amazing background of Yoritomo's Genji clan - a real-life medieval mix of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. And then we see how his father Yoshitomo prepared to protect the samurai honor, by standing against his own family... Places mentioned in this e...