History of Japan
Isaac Meyer
This podcast, assembled by a former PhD student in History at the University of Washington, covers the entire span of Japanese history. Each week we'll tackle a new topic, ranging from prehistoric Japan to the modern day.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 11, 2015 • 37min
Episode 109 - Rain of Ruin, Part 2
For our longest (non-Q&A) episode ever, we'll discuss the development of the Manhattan Project as the odd couple of Leslie Groves and Robert Oppenheimer work to complete the greatest feat of scientific engineering in history.
Jul 4, 2015 • 28min
Episode 108 - Rain of Ruin, Part 1
In our first of six episodes on the atomic bombs, we start to answer an important question; where did the idea for the bomb come from? Where did people get the idea that a sufficiently large bomb would enable them to win wars from the air?
Jun 27, 2015 • 29min
Episode 107 - The Lair of the Wolves
How does a nation ruled by warriors descend into over 100 years of civil war? Find out this week as we discuss the causes of the Onin War and the collapse of the authority of the Ashikaga shoguns.
Jun 20, 2015 • 24min
Episode 106 - Facing Both Ways
Kato Shizue was one of Japan's earliest feminist icons. This week we'll trace her unusual rise from daughter of wealth and privilege to firebrand politician fighting for the rights of Japanese women and women everywhere.
Jun 13, 2015 • 26min
Episode 105 - A Relic of Another Age
This week, we cover Japan's doomed attempt to build an undefeatable battleship in a time when battleships were no longer really the key to naval victory. That's right, it's time for the IJN Yamato!
Jun 6, 2015 • 25min
Episode 104 - The Patriot
This week: did the postwar period destroy the soul of Japanese culture? Mishima Yukio certainly thought so. We'll explore his life, his career, and the unusual manner of his untimely death this week!
May 30, 2015 • 25min
Episode 103 - The Path of the Righteous Man
What do you get when you cross radical Confucianism with armed samurai? Japan's first samurai rebellion since the 1630s, and a recipe for one fascinating episode. Cannons, torture, and philosophy: this episode has it all!
May 23, 2015 • 33min
Episode 102 - The Episode Formerly Known as the 100th Episode
This week: your questions! What places are fun to visit Japanese? How do you learn Japanese outside of school? And does the Emperor obey traffic laws when he drives himself? All that and more today!
May 16, 2015 • 36min
Episode 101 - Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains
This week, we've got our first ever interview with author and Shikoku pilgrimage survivor Paul Barach. You can find his book, Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains, on Amazon.
May 9, 2015 • 27min
Episode 100 - Taiko
Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose from the lower ranks of society in just a bit over 30 years; how did he rise so far so fast, and why did the regime he built crumble almost immediately after this death? All that and more this week.
