A History of Japan

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A history of the people of Japan, from the prehistoric Jomon period to the modern era. WARNING: This podcast occasionally touches on subjects of human sexuality, suicide, violence, and torture.

Justin Hebert

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    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 22m AVG DURATION
    • 249 EPISODES
    • 6 SEASONS


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    Latest episodes from A History of Japan

    Radical Politics - BONUS EPISODE

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 17:22


    The Taisho Period witnessed the coming-of-age for many political parties and movements. This episode focuses on the fringe left during the Taisho Period, who grew and organized in spite of government repression and social stigma.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!

    The Pax Taishō

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 27:13 Transcription Available


    Japan saw its fair share of progress during the Taisho Period but it also saw an increase in the raw cruelty which its armed forces were willing to use in order to preserve their empire.Higher Listenings: Joy for EducatorsA new podcast from Top Hat delivering ideas, relief, and joy to the future of teaching.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport 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!

    Taishō Democracy

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 27:16 Transcription Available


    Toward the end of the Taisho Period, the Imperial Diet finally passed a law which established universal suffrage for men 25 and older regardless of tax assessment. Shortly before, however, they also passed a law which would allow law enforcement entities far greater powers of surveillance, harassment, and repression.Higher Listenings: Joy for EducatorsA new podcast from Top Hat delivering ideas, relief, and joy to the future of teaching.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport 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!

    Obligations, Disasters, and Atrocities

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 27:30 Transcription Available


    Japan signed a treaty with their fellow Entente Powers which slowed construction on the ever-increasing navies of many nations. In 1923, a terrible earthquake struck the Kanto Region resulting in massive damage and an incredible number of casualties. The atrocity that soon followed, however, only served to increase the tragedy.Higher Listenings: Joy for EducatorsA new podcast from Top Hat delivering ideas, relief, and joy to the future of teaching.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport 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!

    A League of Their Own

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 26:29 Transcription Available


    Japan emerges as a major player among world powers as their ambassadors helped finalize the postwar treaties and create a new international body meant to stop large-scale wars before they began: The League of Nations. However, trouble continued brewing on the Korean Peninsula as a new mass movement for national liberation took to the streets.Higher Listenings: Joy for EducatorsA new podcast from Top Hat delivering ideas, relief, and joy to the future of teaching.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport 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!

    A Whole New World

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 25:08 Transcription Available


    The new international status quo that emerged after the first World War was very different than what came before, and Japan was poised to become a major new power in this new world.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!

    The World Goes to War, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 26:18 Transcription Available


    The eastern front of the first world war was much busier than its western counterpart and the stakes for one nation were much higher. When the war finally ended with the Entente triumphant, Japan was poised to enjoy the advantages of supporting the winning side.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!

    The World Goes to War, Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 23:49 Transcription Available


    The assassination of an Austrian Archduke sparks a chain reaction which would ignite a global conflict on a scale never seen before.If you'd like to read the complete "Literary Digest History of the World War," all ten volumes are available for free on the internet archive here.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!

    The Republic of China

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 23:20 Transcription Available


    In early 1912, the Qing Dynasty officially transferred its right to rule to the Republic of China, who named Yuan Shikai as their president in exchange for ending the civil war. Shikai, however, would soon prove just as power-hungry and authoritarian as the imperial system he sought to replace.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!

    The Fall of the Qing Dynasty

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 27:23 Transcription Available


    The first decade of the 1900s witnessed a final attempt by the Qing Dynasty to reform its outmoded systems of governance and forge a new Chinese nation state. Those attempts eventually failed in the wake of a massive revolution against the last dynasty of China, which succeeded in 1912.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!

    Crisis and Opportunity

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 26:01 Transcription Available


    The Taisho Period began with a political crisis that threatened to upend the stability established by the Meiji Period as the people of Japan took to the streets to express their displeasure by rioting.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!

    The Resident Foreigner and the Foreign Resident - BONUS EPISODE

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 12:58


    This episode follows the lives and adventures of Basil Hall Chamberlain and Lafcadio Hearn, two of the most famous foreign residents who lived in Japan during the Meiji Period.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!

    Nourishing the Nation - BONUS EPISODE

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 15:26 Transcription Available


    The Meiji Period witnessed a radical expansion of the Japanese palate as the people began consuming foreign foods like beer and the government encouraged the populace to eat meat.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!

    An Age of Letters - BONUS EPISODE

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 20:55 Transcription Available


    Writers of the Meiji Period included some of the most influential Japanese authors of all time, many of whom are still regularly included in reading curriculum today.Soseki ProjectSupport 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!

    The Pax Meiji

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 29:24 Transcription Available


    The Meiji period saw sweeping transformation in nearly every aspect of Japanese society. The political status quo which it established, however, paved the way for future infighting and the imperial government's tendency toward repression cast a dark shadow.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!

    The Question of Korea

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 27:15 Transcription Available


    After the Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji government moved quickly to solidify their control of Korea, gradually chipping away at the sovereignty of its government until annexation became the only logical next step.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!

    The Long Road of Peace

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2024 24:40 Transcription Available


    Both Russia and Japan were desperate to end the Russo-Japanese War by the summer of 1905. However, the conditions of that peace would not bring an end to domestic turmoil in Russia, and would inaugurate entirely fresh domestic turmoil in Japan.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!

    The Russo-Japanese War, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 26:02 Transcription Available


    After securing the southern portion of Liaodong Province, the Imperial Japanese Army proceeded to besiege Port Arthur while simultaneously fighting Russian forces to their north in increasingly costly and difficult battles.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!

    The Russo-Japanese War, Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 29:02 Transcription Available


    In February of 1904, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on Port Arthur and initiate the Russo-Japanese War.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!

    A Tsar is Born

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 25:33 Transcription Available


    We examine the development Russian Empire of the 1800s and see what factors set them on a collision course with Japan in 1904.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!

    The Boxer Rebellion

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 28:06 Transcription Available


    When a militant anti-imperial movement spreads China, an allied army of eight nations moved quickly to suppress the rebels, leading to a reactionary swing from the Qing Dynasty's government.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!

    Losing Korea

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 26:47 Transcription Available


    Although Japan had seemingly won influence over Korea as a war prize from the Chinese, Joseon itself was still an independent state. Because of the actions of one inexperienced Japanese diplomat, that independence was about to be asserted in an undeniable way.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!

    The First Sino-Japanese War

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 29:59 Transcription Available


    Mounting tensions over the future of Korea turned violent after the end of the Donghak Rebellion, resulting in a war between Japan and China.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!

    The Battlefield of Ideas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 24:50 Transcription Available


    With its new constitutional structure in place, the Japanese government began to take on a more permanent political shape. However, war with China over the future of Korea lurked on the horizon.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!

    The Qing Dynasty's Self-Strengthening

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2024 31:55


    In light of its repeated defeats and humiliations at the hands of imperial powers, the Qing Dynasty attempted to modernize its military, economy, and society through a series of reforms known as the "Self-Strengthening Movement."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!

    The Hermit Kingdom

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 35:02 Transcription Available


    By the mid-1800s, the Joseon Kingdom had become an isolated polity which was famously hostile to unwelcome visitors. Nevertheless, imperial powers vied to force the nation to open to international trade, offer paths toward modernization, and jealously eyed the strategic and economic value of Korea's many ports.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!

    The Meiji Constitution

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 28:42 Transcription Available


    As pressure mounted from grass roots organizations like the Freedom Party, the Meiji government decided to finally draft a constitution. The process which brought it about, and the language which it employed, would determine the course of Japan's political future.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!

    Clans, Corporations, and Capital

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 26:06 Transcription Available


    The early years of the Meiji period saw an explosion of economic growth as Edo Period merchant houses transformed into conglomerates called Zaibatsu.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!

    Counter-Revolution

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2024 30:40 Transcription Available


    The Meiji Revolution very rapidly changed nearly every aspect of public life in Japan. Such rapid progress led, inevitably, to counter-revolutions among various groups who felt discarded by the march of modernization, including a large body of samurai in the land formerly known as Satsuma Domain.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!

    The Meiji Reformation

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 27:38 Transcription Available


    The Buddhist temples throughout Japan had worked hand-in-hand with the Shogunate to help prevent the spread of Christianity in Japan. Now that the Shogunate was gone, anti-Buddhist sentiment in the country boiled over into a violent response. 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!

    The New Frontier

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 30:17 Transcription Available


    As the Meiji leaders continued to consolidate power and enact radical reforms, they also sought to expand Japan's sovereignty over the northern island of Ezo and the Ryukyu islands to their south.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!

    The View From Below

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 29:29 Transcription Available


    As the new Meiji government continued to develop and expand, so did the participation of Japanese commoners in the political process. The 1870s witnessed the Iwakura Mission and the birth of Japan's first newspapers which were quickly followed by censorship laws.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!

    The Meiji Revolution

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 29:27 Transcription Available


    Now firmly established in Tokyo, the Meiji leaders launched a series of measures aimed at bringing feudal Japan into the modern age. However, upon their inception, these reforms often met with violent reactions.Cold Case Western AustraliaThey're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport 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!

    The Bakufu's Last Gasp

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 29:45


    In the closing days of the Boshin War, the remnant of the Bakufu's forces attempted to establish a semi-independent state on the northern island of Hokkaido. The fledgling Meiji government, however, had no intention of allowing this.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!

    A Tale of Three Shogunates -- BONUS

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 18:25 Transcription Available


     After the Boshin War, the Shogunate as a form of government would cease to exist. In this episode we examine the three different warrior governments that ruled over Japan over nearly seven centuries and see what they did well, where they struggled, and why such a form of government ultimately failed. Support the Show.

    The Evolution of the Samurai -- BONUS

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 20:13 Transcription Available


    In this bonus episode, we trace the origins of the samurai and their subsequent evolution to the heights of political power.Support the Show.

    The Three Outstanding Heroes -- BONUS

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 14:54


    Three samurai are credited with significant contributions to the success of the Meiji Revolution and in this episode we explore their backgrounds and experiences during the tumultuous Bakumatsu period.Support the Show.

    The Boshin War

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 26:49 Transcription Available


    Tensions between the Bakufu and the freshly-energized Loyalists came to a head when a shogunate army was refused entry to Kyoto - then promptly fired upon. The ensuing Boshin War was largely one-sided, with Loyalists gaining repeated victories due to superior arms, tactics, and numbers.Support the Show.

    Bakumatsu, Part 3: The Last Shogun

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 24:24 Transcription Available


    Things appeared grim for Choshu Domain after their defeat to western forces at the Battle of Shimonoseki. In a few short years, however, their fortunes would be completely reversed and the Bakufu would find itself politically besieged.Support the Show.

    Bakumatsu, Part 2: Blood in the Streets

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 29:36 Transcription Available


    After the assassination of Ii Naosuke, political violence became a new norm. The Shogunate was deeply troubled when a rebellion began in its own backyard of northern Kanto, in Mito Domain.Support the Show.

    Bakumatsu, Part 1: The Ansei Purge

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2024 26:22 Transcription Available


    After the national humiliation and subsequent economic turmoil caused by opening Japan to more foreign trade, the Bakufu desperately tried to regain a position of national authority. This culminated in the Ansei Purge initiated by the chief elder Ii Naosuke. However, the shogunate's tough actions would bring significant unexpected consequences.Support the Show.

    The Black Ships

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 23:13 Transcription Available


    In 1853, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry from the United States of America forced Japan to become open to foreign trade. How did he succeed where so many others had failed?Support the Show.

    Pillars of Resistance

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 23:52 Transcription Available


    Throughout the 1840s, various groups sought to find solutions to repeated violations of sakoku and questioned the ability of the shogunate to practically defend the country if there was an actual invasion. Many came to very different conclusions.Support the Show.

    The Joseon Renaissance

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 24:12 Transcription Available


    Throughout the 1700s, after a series of political purges and national instability, the Joseon kingdom experienced a cultural flowering.Support the Show.

    When Empires Collide

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 32:32 Transcription Available


    As the Qing Dynasty continued to decline in the wake of mass rebellions and longstanding insurgencies, a conflict with the British East India Trade Company would evolve into the disastrous Opium Wars.Support the Show.

    The Golden Age of the Qing Dynasty

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2024 28:38 Transcription Available


    The reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong represented a time of increasing expansion, stabilizing, and solidifying for China in the 1700s. However, some of the tendencies of the Qing Dynasty would ultimately sow the seeds for its own destruction.Support the Show.

    Kinjiru

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2024 26:11 Transcription Available


    The Sakoku isolation policies were meant to keep the Japanese government insulated from dangerous foreign influence. However, its tendency toward restriction and xenophobia could not be easily balanced with the Bakufu's desire to continue governing the nation.Support the Show.

    Let the Good Times Roll

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2024 24:10 Transcription Available


    After the expulsion of Matsudaira Sadanobu, the shogun was free to pursue the lavish lifestyle he had always dreamed of. Thanks to a buoyant economy, the rest of the nation joined him in conspicuous consumption. These good times, however, would eventually come to an end.Support the Show.

    The Kansei Reforms

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 24:36 Transcription Available


    Newly anointed chief of the roju Matsudaira Sadanobu wanted to set Japan back on course after the devastating Great Tenmei Famine. However, some of his more restrictive policies would prove unpopular.Support the Show.

    A Question of Influence

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2024 24:14 Transcription Available


    The forced isolation of the Edo Period was part of a larger strategy by the Bakufu to ensure the removal of any possible rivals. However, Japan greatly benefited from foreign import and foreign learning, in spite of the shogunate's insistence that the nation needed no such outside interference.Support the Show.

    Cracks in the Foundation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 25:47 Transcription Available


    The reigns of shoguns Tokugawa Ieshige and Tokugawa Ieharu caused further weakness in the Bakufu at a critical time. Rampant corruption was encouraged by one chief of the Roju named Tanuma Okitsugu. The Great Tenmei Famine, however, would bring all of his schemes crashing down.Support the show

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