History of Japan

This week, we're starting a longform look at Japan's most prominent political dynasty: the Hatoyama family, which has been a presence in Japan's electoral politics from the jump. Today is all about the career of family progenitor Hatoyama Kazuo, who went from son of a minor samurai to speaker of the House of Representatives, and in the offing created one of the nation's great political dynasties. Show notes here. 

Explore the captivating world of rakugo, a traditional Japanese storytelling form that balances comedy and drama. Discover its origins rooted in Buddhism and how it transformed during the Edo period. Delve into tales of love and betrayal through engaging anecdotes that showcase its rich narrative heritage. Learn why rakugo remains relevant today, adapting to modern media despite the decline of live performances. This blend of historical context and entertaining storytelling brings the art of rakugo to life!

How did one man's determination to get paid end up producing one of the best records we have of a pivotal moment in Japanese history? Show notes here. 

This week: Japan's empire in Micronesia comes apart under the face of both the miscalculations of military leadership and the contradictions that had haunted it from the jump. Show notes here. 

So far, we've talked about how Micronesia came under Japanese rule, but what was Japan's rule over the region like?  Show notes here.

When World War I began, many among the Japanese leadership were hesistant to take advantage of the opportunity to move into Micronesia. What changed their minds, and how were they able to square a colonial government with the idealistic language of the postwar League of Nations? Show notes here.

Japan would seize control of German Micronesia in the fall of 1914, but Japanese interest in the region goes back centuries further. This week: how did Japan get from disinterest in the nebulously defined 'Southern Seas' to active military operations to take control of them? Show notes here. 

This week: the bizarre story of an attempted coup in Korea that, along the way, touches on everything from Japanese liberalism to the birth of overseas empire.  Show notes here. 

If the first translation of a text on smallpox vaccination in Japan was finished in 1820, how did it take another 29 years for the first mass vaccination campaigns to begin? The answers involve everything from a German doctor accused of being a spy to networks of physicians trying to navigate obscure bureaucracy. And they might remind you more of the last few years than you'd think. Show notes here.

This week: the elimination of smallpox is probably one of the greatest medical accomplishments in human history. The vaccine that made it possible, however, was invented during a time of isolation for Japan. So how did the vaccine make it to Japanese shores, and what does that story tell us about public health, the sharing of information, and the nature of society in late feudal Japan?  Show notes here.