Podcasts about Shimizu

Last time we spoke about Japan's preparations for War. In late 1936, tensions soared in China as Nationalist General Chiang Kai-shek was detained by dissenting commanders who were frustrated with his focus on communism instead of the growing Japanese threat. Faced with escalating Japanese aggression, these leaders forced Chiang into a reluctant alliance with the Chinese Communist Party, marking a pivotal shift in China's strategy. Despite this union, China remained unprepared, lacking sufficient military supplies and modern equipment. Conversely, Japan, wary of Chinese modernization efforts, pushed for a preemptive strike to dismantle Chiang's regime before it could pose a serious threat. As aggressive military exercises intensified, Japan underestimated Chinese resilience. By spring 1937, both nations found themselves on the brink of war, with Japan's divided military leadership struggling to formulate a coherent strategy. Ultimately, these miscalculations would lead to the full-scale Sino-Japanese War, altering the course of history in East Asia.   #154 The Marco Polo Bridge Incident  Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Here we are at last, the beginning of the absolute cataclysm between China and Japan. Now as many of you know I run the Pacific War week by week podcast, which technically covers the second sino-japanese war, nearly to a T. So for this podcast I want to try and portray the event from the Chinese and Japanese point of view, but not in the rather dry manner of the other podcast. In the other podcast I am hampered by the week by week format and can never dig deep into the nitty gritty as they say. On the same hand I don't want to simply regurgitate every single battle of this conflict, it would be absolutely nuts. So bear with me friends as we fall down in the rabbit hole of madness together, who knows how long it will take to get out. On the night of July 7, 1937, at approximately 19:30, the 8th Squadron of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the Hebian Brigade of the Japanese Army, stationed in Fengtai and led by Squadron Leader Shimizu Seiro, conducted a military exercise, heading toward Lungwangmiao, approximately just under a mile northwest of the Marco Polo Bridge The exercise simulated an operation to capture the bridge. As you may have guessed it was named after the Italian explorer Marco Polo, who described it in his travels, the bridge is renowned for its intricate carvings of lions and other sculptures. However after 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge would be far less known for its history dealing with the venetian explorer and more so with an event that many would contend to be the start of WW2. At that time, troops from Japan, Britain, France, and Italy were stationed near Peiping in accordance with the Boxer Protocol of 1901. The Japanese China Garrison Army, comprising around 4,000 soldiers and commanded by Lieutenant-General Tashiro Kan'ichirō, was based in Tientsin. Its mission was to "maintain communication lines between Peiping and the seaports in the Gulf of Chihli and to protect Japanese citizens living in key areas of North China." The protocol also permitted the garrison forces of the signatory nations to conduct field drills and rifle practice without notifying the Chinese authorities, with the exception of cases involving live fire. During this period, Japanese troops were conducting nightly exercises in anticipation of a scheduled review on July 9. The night maneuver was within the army's rights under the Boxer Protocol and was not an illegal act, as later claimed by the Chinese. However, the Japanese army had courteously informed the Chinese authorities about its training plans in advance. Despite this, the atmosphere was charged with tension, and the Japanese decision to use blank ammunition during their night exercise further escalated the already volatile situation. Earlier that evening, Captain Shimizu Setsurö, a company commander, arrived at the banks of the Yungting River, where the maneuver was to take place. He noticed that the site looked different since the last exercise had occurred; Chinese troops had recently constructed new trenches and parapets from the embankment to the Lungwangmiao shelter. While eating his dinner and surveying the area, Shimizu felt a sense of unease, harboring a premonition that “something might happen that night.” After completing the first stage of the maneuver around 10:30 PM, several live rounds were fired into the assembled company from the direction of the riverbank. Shimizu immediately conducted a roll call and found one soldier missing. He promptly sent a messenger to inform the battalion commander. The exercise was then called off, and the company moved eastward to await further orders at Hsiwulitien. Battalion Commander Itsuki Kiyonaho, upon receiving the report, deemed the situation serious. Aside from the gunfire heard in the darkness from an unknown source, he expressed concern over the soldier's disappearance and sought permission from Regiment Commander Mutaguchi Renya, an absolute moron, if you listen to the pacific war podcast, well you know. Anyways to relocate the battalion to the area where the shots had been fired and to establish surveillance. As dawn approached, the troops heard several more gunshots. Within twenty minutes of the soldier's disappearance, he returned to his ranks, but Shimizu did not report this update until four hours later. Meanwhile, midnight negotiations included a Japanese request for permission to search the city of Wanping, leading both sides to believe the incident was significant. Around 11:00 PM, the Japanese forces falsely reported that one of their soldiers had gone missing during the drill and demanded permission to enter the city for a search. This request was firmly denied by Ji Xingwen, the commander of the 219th Regiment of the 37th Division of the Chinese Army. In response, Japanese troops swiftly surrounded Wanping County. To prevent further escalation, at 2:00 AM the following morning, Qin Dechun, deputy commander of the 29th Army and mayor of Beiping, agreed with the Japanese to allow both sides to send personnel for an investigation. While Matsui, the head of the Japanese secret service in Peiping, was negotiating with North Chinese authorities based on unverified reports from Japanese troops in Fengtai, Ikki Kiyonao, the battalion commander of the Japanese garrison in Fengtai, had already reported to his regiment commander, Mutaguchi Lianya. The latter approved orders for the Japanese troops in Fengtai to “immediately move out” to the Marco Polo Bridge.  On July 8, a large contingent of Japanese troops appeared at Lugou Bridge. Shen Zhongming, the platoon leader of the 10th Company of the Reserve Force of the 3rd Battalion of the 219th Regiment of the 37th Division of the 29th Army, was assisting in guarding the bridgehead. He jumped out of the trench, stood in front of the bunker, and raised his right hand to halt the advancing Japanese troops. However, the Japanese military threatened to search for their missing soldiers, pushed forward, and opened fire. Shen Zhongming was shot and died on the spot. At 4:50 AM, the Japanese army launched a fierce assault on Wanping County, capturing Shagang in the northeast of Wanping and firing the first shot of the siege. Unable to withstand the aggression, the Chinese defenders mounted a counterattack. That day, the Japanese army assaulted Wanping City three times, targeting the Pinghan Railway Bridge and the Chinese defenders at the Huilong Temple position on the left. He Jifeng, the commander of the 110th Brigade of the Chinese defenders, issued a resolute order to “live and die with the bridge” and personally commanded the front-line battle. The Chinese defenders engaged in fierce combat, fighting valiantly despite exhausting their ammunition and resorting to hand-to-hand combat with swords against the Japanese soldiers. Tragically, over 80 Chinese defenders from two platoons were killed at the bridgehead. On the same day, the Beijing authorities instructed the garrison to hold firm at the Marco Polo Bridge. Song Queyuan sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek to report the true events of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. The National Government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a verbal protest with the Japanese ambassador regarding the incident. Additionally, the CPC Central Committee issued a telegram urging all Chinese soldiers and civilians to unite and resist Japanese aggression. The Japanese cabinet, in a bid to mislead global public opinion, proposed a so-called policy of “resolving the incident locally without escalating it,” aiming to paralyze the KMT authorities and buy time to mobilize additional forces. In the wake of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, generals of the 29th Army, including Qin Dechun, Feng Zhian, and Zhang Zizhong, convened an emergency meeting. Following their discussions, they issued a statement demanding that their troops withdraw from the Marco Polo Bridge to de-escalate tensions. However, they expressed deep concerns about national sovereignty, stating, “We cannot simply back down. If they continue to oppress us, we will do our utmost to defend ourselves.” Concurrently, the 29th Army commanded the troops defending the Marco Polo Bridge: “The Marco Polo Bridge is your grave. You must live and die with the bridge and must not retreat.” Brigade Commander He Jifeng reinforced three directives for the defenders:  1. Do not allow the Japanese army to enter the city;  2. Firmly counterattack if the Japanese invade;  3. You are responsible for defending the territory and will never yield. If you abandon your position, you will face military law. On July 9, the 29th Army successfully eliminated a Japanese squadron and reclaimed control of the railway bridge and Longwang Temple. A temporary lull settled over the Marco Polo Bridge battlefield, during which the Japanese military made false claims that "missing Japanese soldiers had returned to their units" and described the situation as a misunderstanding that could be resolved peacefully. Subsequently, Chinese and Japanese representatives in Beijing and Tianjin engaged in negotiations. The Beijing authorities reached an agreement with the Japanese forces, which included:  (1) an immediate cessation of hostilities by both parties;  (2) the Japanese army withdrawing to the left bank of the Yongding River while the Chinese army retreated to the right bank; and  (3) the defense of Lugou Bridge being assigned to Shi Yousan's unit of the Hebei Security Team. However, the following day, while the Chinese army withdrew as agreed, the Japanese army not only failed to uphold its commitments but also dispatched a significant number of troops to launch an offensive against the Chinese forces. Reports on July 10 indicated that the Japanese army had arrived from Tianjin, Gubeikou, Yuguan, and other locations, advancing toward the Lugou Bridge with artillery and tanks, and had occupied Dajing Village and Wulidian, signaling that another outbreak of conflict was imminent. On July 11, the Japanese Cabinet decided to deploy seven divisions from the Kwantung Army, the Korean Army, and Japan to North China. On the same day, the Beiping-Tianjin authorities reached a localized agreement with the Japanese army, which entailed:  (1) a formal apology from a representative of the 29th Army to the Japanese forces, along with assurances that those responsible for the initial conflict would be held accountable;  (2) a ban on anti-Japanese activities conducted by the Communist Party, the Blue Shirts Society, and other resistance groups; and  (3) an agreement ensuring that no Chinese troops would be stationed east of the Yongding River. Concurrently, the Japanese army positioned their forces at strategic points in Wuqing, Fengtai, Wanping, and Changping, effectively encircling the city of Beijing and continuing to advance troops into its surrounding suburbs. Starting on July 11, the Japanese army began bombarding Wanping City and its surrounding areas with artillery, resulting in numerous casualties among the local population. Following the injury of regiment commander Ji Xingwen, residents were evacuated to safer locations outside the city. The conflict then spread to Babaoshan, Changxindian, Langfang, Yangcun, and other areas, with the 29th Army being deployed to various locations to confront the enemy. The Japanese military also dispatched aircraft for reconnaissance and strafing missions, leading to intermittent fighting. On July 13, Mao Zedong urged "every Communist Party member and anti-Japanese revolutionary to be prepared to mobilize to the frontline of the anti-Japanese war at any time" from Yan'an. By July 15, a CPC representative presented the "Communist Party Declaration on Cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party" to Chiang Kai-shek, proposing that this declaration serve as the political foundation for cooperation between the two parties and be publicly issued by the Kuomintang. Zhou Enlai, Qin Bangxian, and Lin Boqu continued negotiations with Chiang Kai-shek, Shao Lizi, and Zhang Chong in Lushan. Although Chiang Kai-shek recognized the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, disagreements remained regarding the reorganization of the Red Army. On July 16, the Five Ministers Conference in Tokyo resolved to mobilize 400,000 Japanese troops to invade China and to enforce a policy aimed at rapidly destroying the entire country. The following day, more than 100 Japanese soldiers arrived in Shunyi and Changping, where they reinforced fortifications on the city wall of Changping. On July 18, the Japanese army invaded Changping, Tongzhou, and other counties in the pseudo-border areas by maneuvering through various passes of the Great Wall. Japanese plainclothes teams were reported to be active in the Xiaotangshan area of Changping, raising alert levels within the Chinese army. On July 20, the Kuomintang Military and Political Department became aware that the Japanese army intended to first occupy strategic locations such as the Indigo Factory, Wanshou Mountain, and Balizhuang in the Pingxi area, before cutting off the Pingsui Road and controlling the route from Beiping to Changping. On July 21, the Japanese army violated the agreement by bombarding Wanping County and the garrison at Changxindian.  On the night of July 25, a confrontation took place at the railway station in Langfang, located between Peiping and Tientsin. The clash involved Chinese troops and a Japanese company dispatched to repair telegraph lines. General Kazuki promptly sought Tokyo's permission to respond with military force, believing that the situation required immediate action. Without waiting for authorization, he ordered a regiment from Tientsin to engage the Chinese forces and issued an ultimatum to Sung Che-yuan, stating that if the 37th Division did not completely withdraw from Peiping by noon on July 28, the Garrison Army would take unilateral action. The 77th Infantry Regiment of the 20th Division was dispatched with the Gonoi Squadron to escort a repair team to Langfang Station. Stationed near Langfang were the headquarters of the 113th Brigade of the 38th Division, along with the main force of the 226th Regiment, led by Brigade Commander Liu Zhensan and Regiment Commander Cui Zhenlun. Although the leadership of the 29th Army adopted a passive stance in the war of resistance, the forces in Langfang prepared for conflict in an organized manner. They not only evacuated the families of servicemen and relocated the regiment headquarters, but also built fortifications and deployed plainclothes teams at Wanzhuang Station, Luofa Station, and Langfang Station to swiftly destroy the railway if necessary. Despite their preparations, the commanders of the 38th Division adhered to Song Queyuan's directives. When the 5th Company, stationed at Yangcun, observed Japanese supply units continually moving toward Lugou Bridge, they sought permission to engage the enemy. However, the 38th Division later reassigned this company. The Bac Ninh Line, established after the Boxer Protocol, had granted the Japanese the right to station troops, placing the 38th Division in a vulnerable position and preventing them from stopping the Japanese before they reached Langfang. Upon the arrival of Japanese forces at Langfang Station, Chinese guards initiated negotiations, requesting the Japanese to withdraw quickly after completing their mission. The Japanese, however, insisted on establishing camps outside the station, leading to repeated arguments. As tensions mounted, the Japanese began constructing positions near the station, ultimately forcing Chinese troops to retreat and escalating the conflict. The situation reached a boiling point around 11:10 pm, when fierce gunfire and explosions erupted near Langfang Station. The Japanese army claimed they were defending the station from an attack by Chinese forces armed with rifles, machine guns, and mortars throughout the night. According to Cui Zhenlun, the head of the 226th Regiment, it was the 9th and 10th companies that could no longer tolerate the Japanese provocation and fired first, catching the enemy off guard. As the battle intensified, reinforcements from the main force of the 77th Infantry Regiment “Li Deng Unit” arrived at the scene after receiving reports of the skirmish and gradually joined the fight after 6:30 am on July 26. When dawn broke, Japanese troops stationed at Langfang began to rush out to counterattack, seeing their reinforcements arrive. Recognizing they could not eliminate the Japanese presence at the station quickly, the 226th Regiment faced heavy bombardment from the Japanese Air Force later that morning. Consequently, the headquarters of the 113th Brigade and the primary forces of the 226th Regiment hastily retreated to Tongbai Town, suffering significant losses in equipment during their withdrawal. That night, Kazuki made the unilateral decision to abandon the policy of restraint and decided to use force on July 28 "to punish the Chinese troops in the Peiping-Tientsin area." On the morning of July 27, the army high command endorsed his decision and submitted a plan to the cabinet for mobilizing divisions in Japan. The cabinet agreed, and imperial approval was sought. At that time, the Chinese army was gathering in significant numbers in Baoding and Shijiazhuang in southern Hebei, as well as in Datong, Shanxi. They had effectively surrounded the Japanese army on all sides in the Fengtai District. Meanwhile, newly mobilized units of the Kwantung Army and the Japanese Korean Army were en route to the Tianjin and Beiping areas. The 2nd Battalion of the 2nd China Garrison Infantry Regiment, commanded by Major Hirobe, was dispatched with 26 trucks to the Japanese barracks within the walls of Beiping to ensure the protection of Japanese residents. Prior discussions had taken place between Takuro Matsui, head of the Special Service Agency, and officials from the Hebei–Chahar Political Council regarding the passage of troops through the Guang'anmen gate just outside Beiping. The mayor, Qin Dechun, had granted approval for this movement. However, when Major Tokutaro Sakurai, a military and political advisor to the Council, arrived at Guang'anmen, a famous gate to Beiping, around 6:00 pm to establish contact, he found that the Chinese troops on guard had closed the gate. After further negotiations, the gates were opened at approximately 7:30 pm, allowing the Japanese units to begin passing through. Unfortunately, as the first three trucks crossed, the Chinese opened fire on them. Two-thirds of the units managed to get through before the gate was abruptly shut, leaving a portion of Hirobe's troops trapped both inside and outside. As they faced unexpectedly heavy fire from machine guns and grenades, efforts by Japanese and Chinese advisors to pacify the Chinese troops proved futile. By 8:00 pm, the Japanese launched a counterattack from both sides of the gate. The Chinese received reinforcements and encircled the Japanese forces. Despite a relief column being dispatched by Brigadier Masakazu Kawabe, commander of the brigade in the Fengtai District, by 9:30 pm, negotiations with the Chinese yielded a proposal for de-escalation: the Chinese army would maintain a distance while the Japanese inside the gate would relocate to the grounds of their legation, and those outside would return to Fengtai. Fighting ceased shortly after 10:00 pm, and at approximately 2:00 am the following day, Hirobe's unit successfully entered the barracks in the legation. The total casualties reported for the Japanese army during these confrontations were 2 dead and 17 wounded. Both fatalities were superior privates. The wounded included one major, one captain, one sergeant, two superior privates, one private first class, seven privates second class, two attached civilians, and one news reporter. Additionally, the interpreter accompanying Tokutaro Sakurai was also killed in action. On July 27, the Japanese army launched attacks on the 29th Army garrisons in Tongxian, Tuanhe, Xiaotangshan, and other locations, forcing the defenders to retreat to Nanyuan and Beiyuan. At 8:00 am on July 28, under the command of Army Commander Kiyoshi Kozuki, the Japanese army initiated a general assault on the 29th Army in the Beiping area. The primary attacking force, the 20th Division, supported by aircraft and artillery, targeted the 29th Army Special Brigade, the 114th Brigade of the 38th Division, and the 9th Cavalry Division stationed in Nanyuan. Overwhelmed by the Japanese assault, Nanyuan's defenders struggled to maintain command, leading to chaotic individual combat. Meanwhile, the main Japanese garrison brigade in Fengtai advanced to Dahongmen, effectively cutting off the Nanyuan troops' route to the city and blocking their retreat. The battle for Nanyuan concluded at 1:00 pm, resulting in the deaths of Tong Lingge, deputy commander of the 29th Army, and Zhao Dengyu, commander of the 132nd Division. As this unfolded, elements of the 37th Division of the 29th Army launched an attack on the Japanese forces in Fengtai but were repulsed by Japanese reinforcements. On that day, the Japanese Army's 1st Independent Mixed Brigade captured Qinghe Town, prompting the 2nd Brigade of the Hebei-Northern Security Force, stationed there, to retreat to Huangsi. The Japanese also occupied Shahe. In the afternoon of July 28, Song Qeyuan appointed Zhang Zizhong as the acting chairman of the Hebei-Chahar Political Affairs Committee and director of the Hebei-Chahar Pacification Office, as well as the mayor of Beiping, before leaving the city for Baoding that evening. The 37th Division was ordered to retreat to Baoding. On July 29th, a significant mutiny broke out at Tongzhou. If you remember our episode covering the Tanggu truce, Tongzhou had become the capital of the East Hubei Anti-Communist Autonomous Government headed by Yin Jukeng. In response Chiang Kai-Shek had established the East Hebei Administrative Affairs Committee, chaired by Song Queyuan. In Tongzhou, Japanese troops were stationed under the pretext of protecting Japanese residents, as stipulated by the Boxer Protocol. Initially, a unit was intended to be stationed in Tongzhou; however, Vice Minister of the Army Umezu Yoshijiro strongly opposed this plan, arguing that placing forces in Tongzhou, far from the Beiping-Tianjin Line was inconsistent with the spirit of the Boxer Protocol. Consequently, this unit was stationed in Fengtai, located southwest of Beiping. At the time of the Tongzhou Incident, the main force of the Japanese Second Regiment, which was responsible for defending Tongzhou, had been deployed to Nanyuan, south of Beijing. Consequently, only non-combat personnel remained in Tongzhou. Japan regarded the Jidong Anti-Communist Autonomous Government Security Force as a friendly ally. Back on July 27, the primary forces of the Japanese Army stationed in Tongzhou, comprising the Kayashima Unit and the Koyama Artillery Unit, received orders to advance toward Nanyuan, Beiping, leaving Tongzhou significantly under-defended. The following day, the Japanese launched a substantial attack on Nanyuan, employing aircraft to bomb Beiping. Sensing a critical opportunity, Zhang Qingyu conferred with Zhang Yantian and Shen Weigan to initiate an uprising that very night. The insurgent force included elements from the first and second corps and the teaching corps, totaling approximately 4,000 personnel. Zhang Qingyu orchestrated the uprising with a focused strategy: the first corps was divided into three groups targeting Japanese forces in Xicang, the puppet government, and various establishments such as opium dens, casinos, and brothels operated by Japanese ronin. Meanwhile, the second corps secured key intersections and facilities in Chengguan, and the teaching corps managed defenses against potential reinforcements at vital stations. At dawn on July 29, the gunfire signaling the uprising erupted. The second unit of the first corps launched an assault on the Xicang Barracks, which housed 120 troops and non-combat personnel, including the Tongzhou Guard, Yamada Motor Vehicle Unit, a Military Police Detachment, and a host of military and police units, totaling about 500 individuals. At around 3 a.m. on July 29, the sound of gunfire filled the air as the insurgents engaged the Japanese forces. Although equipped with only four field guns, several mortars, and a few heavy machine guns, the uprising's numerical superiority enabled simultaneous attacks from the east, south, and northwest. Despite their well-fortified positions and rigorous defense, the Japanese troops struggled against the relentless onslaught. For over six hours, fierce fighting ensued. The uprising troops escalated their firepower but failed to breach the Xicang Barracks initially. More than 200 members of the Japanese security forces lost their lives in the conflict. Concerned that reinforcements might arrive and flank the uprising, Zhang Qingyu ordered artillery assaults around 11 a.m., prompting a shift in the battle's dynamics. The artillery targeted a Japanese motor vehicle convoy transporting supplies and munitions, leading to the destruction of all 17 vehicles, triggering explosions that scattered bullets and shrapnel across the area. Subsequently, nearby fuel depots ignited, engulfing the surroundings in flames and creating chaos among Japanese ranks. The insurgent infantry capitalized on this confusion, wiping out most of the remaining Japanese forces, with only a handful managing to escape. As the uprising signal rang out, another faction of insurgents swiftly blocked access to Tongzhou, disrupting traffic and occupying the telecommunications bureau and radio station. They encircled the offices of the Jidong puppet government, capturing traitor Yin Rugeng, who was taken to the Beiguan Lu Zu Temple. Despite being urged to resist the Japanese, Yin hesitated and was subsequently imprisoned. The third group then targeted the Japanese secret service agency in Nishicang. Hosoki Shigeru, residing a mere lane away from the pseudo-office, responded to the gunfire by mobilizing a contingent of secret agents to confront the uprising. However, the insurgents swiftly overtook the secret service agency, resulting in Shigeru's death and the annihilation of all secret personnel. At 4:00 p.m. on July 29, the Japanese command dispatched reinforcements, compelling the insurgents to retreat from Tongzhou. The Japanese Chinese Garrison ordered air attacks on the uprising forces, with over ten bombers targeting Tongzhou. Concurrently, the Japanese Fengtai Infantry Brigade and the Second Regiment were mobilized for a rescue operation, arriving on the morning of July 30. The Japanese headquarters issued a night defense order requiring all units to be on high alert. By 5:30 p.m., commanding officers assembled to devise a strategy. With the uprising forces still positioned around the eastern, southern, and northern walls of the barracks, Tsujimura's troops implemented strict measures: all units were instructed to fortify defenses throughout the night, with the Tongzhou Guard directly protecting the barracks and the Yamada unit securing the warehouse and supply areas. They enforced silence, prohibiting any lights at night, coordinating operations under the code name "plum cherry." As the Japanese planes repeatedly bombed the area, the insurgents, lacking anti-aircraft defenses, could only mount futile counterattacks with machine guns, leading to disorder among their ranks. Many insurgents abandoned their uniforms and weapons and fled, prompting Zhang Qingyu to make the difficult decision to evacuate Tongzhou before Japanese reinforcements arrived, regrouping in Beiping with the remnants of the 29th Army. In the late hours of July 29, the security team retreated to Beiping in two groups. Upon arrival, they discovered the 29th Army had already evacuated, forcing them to retreat to Changxindian and Baoding. En route, they encountered part of the Suzuki Brigade of the Japanese Kwantung Army near Beiyuan and Xizhimen, where they faced concentrated attacks. Officers Shen Weigan and Zhang Hanming were both killed in the subsequent battles as they led their teams in desperate fights for survival. Amid the confusion, Yin Rugeng managed to escape when the convoy escorting him was broken up by Japanese forces. In a last-ditch effort, Zhang Qingyu ordered the army to split into small groups of 50 to 60, navigating through Mentougou to regroup with the 29th Army. By the time they reached Baoding, only about 4,000 personnel remained. On the morning of July 30, over a thousand troops from the Sakai Army entered Tongzhou City. They rounded up all men they encountered, searching residences for insurgents, and exhibited intentions of massacring the local population. By 4 p.m., the Kayashima Army arrived and sealed all city gates, deploying surveillance units to oversee the city and "restore public order." The Tsujimura Army removed perimeter defenses and concentrated their forces in barracks and storage facilities. Japanese troops combed through residences based on household registries, detaining those they deemed suspicious, with many later executed. As reported by the puppet county magistrate Wang Jizhang, roughly 700 to 800 individuals were executed within a few days. This brutal retaliation instilled terror throughout Tongzhou City, leading many to flee and seek refuge, often in American churches. The pervasive atmosphere of fear lasted for two to three months. The Japanese authorities framed their violent suppression as "restoring stability to East Asia" and derided the legitimate resistance of Chinese citizens as "communist harassment" and "treason." In response to the uprising, the Japanese embassy, concerned that it could trigger a repeat of the Temple Street Incident and instigate political upheaval at home, acted without government instructions. They appointed Morishima Morito to oversee negotiations with Chi Zongmo, who had replaced Yin Rugeng as the head of the "Hebei Anti-Communist Autonomous Government." On December 24, 1937, Chi submitted a formal apology to the Japanese embassy, committing to pay a total of 1.2 million yuan in reparations, with an immediate payment of 400,000 yuan, while the remaining 800,000 yuan would be disbursed by the "Provisional Government of the Republic of China." Furthermore, the Japanese demanded that the "Hebei Anti-Communist Autonomous Government" relinquish the territories where Japanese nationals had been killed and take responsibility for constructing "comfort towers." They compelled Chinese laborers to build these structures at the former site of the Governor's Office of Canal Transport in Shuiyueyuan Hutong, Nanmenli, and the northeastern corner of Xicang Square to commemorate Japanese casualties from the uprising. Additionally, they forcibly uprooted ancient trees from the Temple of Heaven, transplanting them around the "comfort towers." The Japanese military also demolished white marble guardrails at the Confucian Temple to erect a monument honoring their soldiers, resulting in the destruction of centuries-old cultural artifacts. On the morning of July 29, the Japanese Army's 11th Independent Mixed Brigade attacked Beiyuan and Huangsi. The Hebei-Northern Security Force, stationed in Huangsi, engaged the Japanese forces until 6:00 PM before retreating. Meanwhile, the 39th Independent Brigade, garrisoned in Beiyuan, fought the Japanese before withdrawing to Gucheng, eventually returning to Beiyuan. On July 31, this brigade was disarmed by the Japanese army, while the Independent 27th Brigade in the city was reorganized into a security team to maintain public order, later breaking through to Chahar Province a few days later and being assigned to the 143rd Division. Meanwhile, the 38th Division of the 29th Army, stationed in Tianjin, proactively attacked Japanese troops in Tianjin early on July 29, capturing the Japanese garrison at Tianjin General Station and launching an assault on the Japanese headquarters at Haiguang Temple and the Dongjuzi Airport. Initially, the battle progressed favorably; however, due to counterattacks from Japanese aircraft and artillery, the Chinese forces began to retreat around 3:00 PM, leading to the fall of Tianjin. Later that afternoon, the rebel forces evacuated Tong County and advanced toward Beiping. En route, they were attacked by the Japanese army north of the city and subsequently retreated to Baoding. As the 37th Division of the 29th Army received orders to retreat southward, the 110th Brigade covered the army headquarters and the Beiping troops from Wanping to Babaoshan, eventually retreating southward through Mentougou. After completing their task, they withdrew to Baoding on July 30. By the end of the 30th, the Japanese army had occupied both Beiping and Tianjin. The Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade No. 1 and the garrison brigade occupied high ground west of Changxindian and the area near Dahuichang on the evenings of the 30th and 31st, respectively. With this, the battles in Beiping and Tianjin effectively came to a close. China and Japan were at war. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. It has finally happened, China and Japan are officially at war. From 1931 until now, it had been an unofficial war between the two, yet another incident had finally broke the camel's back. There was no turning back as Japan would unleash horror upon the Chinese people. The fight for China's survival had begun. China was completely alone against a fierce enemy, how would she manage? 

There were certainly many talking points from the weekend's top flight round, and we begin this episode with some positivity from Jon Steele after Yokohama FC moved out of the drop zone with an away win over Shonan on Saturday, as the sky blues continue to make a decent fist of their return to J1 (to 21:00). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben continue their roundup of Matchday 17, beginning with Kashima extending their advantage at the top of the table after they downed Shimizu, and Kashiwa lost at Machida. Next up is Kyoto, who piled on the misery for bottom club Yokohama F.Marinos with a fine away win, before we move on to events at Saitama Stadium, where Urawa claimed a controversy-laced home win over FC Tokyo (Ben's rant alert). Following that we review all of the other games, before finishing with a look ahead to midweek and weekend action.

Välkommen till "Film till fikat"!Där vi varje vecka diskuterar en ny film vi sett, på ett lättsamt sätt till en fika i glada vänners lag.Säsong 5, avsnitt 42:Dagens film blir Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie från år 1994...Director: Gisaburô SugiiStars: Kôjiro Shimizu, Kenji Haga, Miki FujitaniHandling:En kriminell boss som letar efter världens bästa fighters jagar en begåvad japansk drifter och hans amerikanska före detta klasskamrat, medan en Interpol-agent och en amerikansk armékapten försöker stoppa honom.Följ oss på Facebook, InstagramMail: Filmtillfikat@gmail.comhttps://www.patreon.com/FilmTillFikat

LET THEM COOK! Over the last 5 months, the Krewe has been hard at work cooking up a massive Season 6 line-up. While the main course will begin being served on May 16, how about an appetizer? Just like the carb-loaded instant yakisoba, this preview is CHOU CHOU CHOU Gigamax packed with sneak peeks at what's to come in Season 6. Some snippets include:- Laughing & learning about the world of Rakugo with master storyteller Katsura Sunshine- Prepping for Expo 2025 with Sachiko Yoshimura, Director General of Public Relations & Promotion for Expo 2025- Studying Japanese via language schools with Nihongo enthusiast Langston Hill- Bridging New Orleans & Japan through music with Jazz Trombonist Haruka Kikuchi- Kicking off 2 episodes on Japan's soccer footprint domestically & worldwide with journalist Dan Orlowitz- Exploring vegan cuisine in Japan with Leonore Steffan of ItadakiHealthy- Diving into social media's role in establishing perceptions of Japan - Revisiting Matsue with Sister City Exchange participants Katherine Heller & Wade Trosclair- Brewing up some craft beer with Chris Madere of Baird Brewing & Chris Poel of Shiokaze BrewLab- Restoring some abandoned homes with Akiya enthusiast & YouTuber Anton Wormann of Anton in JapanThis is only HALF of what's to come this season... the 2nd half is top secret! So stay tuned for our season 6 premiere on May 16, 2025 and stick around for the rest of the season to find out what else we have in store on Season 6 of Krewe of Japan Podcast!!------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

This second week of May, we welcome gardener and plantswoman Holly Shimizu. Her four decades of work in some of America's notable public gardens have tracked and traced some of the most impactful changes in public garden standards, expectations, and accountability in that same time frame. From her visionary leadership roles at the National Herb Garden, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, and the US Botanic Garden to her current board position at the American Horticultural Society, Holly's garden life is a beautiful public-garden journey that benefits us all. Enjoy! Cultivating Place now has a donate button! We thank you so much for listening over the years and we hope you'll support Cultivating Place. We can't thank you enough for making it possible for this young program to grow even more of these types of conversations. The show is available as a podcast on SoundCloud and iTunes. To read more and for many more photos, please visit www.cultivatingplace.com.

Episode 502: A few weeks ago we spun our wheel of recommended shows from Patrons and we landed on Earthworm's pick! Shout out to the Anime Brothers Podcast! The show rec'd to us by Earthworm was the ONA on Netflix: Kotaro Lives Alone. A strange 4 year old boy named Kotaro moves into the Shimizu apartments and befriends his neighbors. As they get to know Kotaro they discover that he lives alone and with each passing day, begin to uncover more about why he lives alone in his apartment.

Jonny and Ben return with a midweek special, to round up the eight games played from J1 Matchday 13 on Tuesday. After beginning the episode with a quick look back at Kawasaki's ACL Elite quarter final win (Spoiler Alert: They won their semi final, too!), we begin our J1 wrap with the game Jonny was at: Gamba Osaka's win over incumbent leaders Kyoto (to 14:45). Then we move on to Kashima going top, and Kashiwa second, with away wins (to 23:10), Shimizu and Machida both moving up after also winning on the road (to 30:50), Tokyo Verdy's second straight win, and Hiroshima Crisis Watch after their home defeat at the hands of Niigata, plus the only draw between Shonan and Fukuoka.

Yves joins us to unpack the life and achievements of Hide Hyodo Shimizu, a Japanese Canadian woman dedicated to education and voting rights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Gibson returned to the podcast, to help Jonny and Ben review goings-on from last midweek, and how the four Kansai clubs are faring after 11 rounds. We chat about the three J1 games - including Steve Holland's ouster at Yokohama F.Marinos after their home loss to Shimizu - and the conclusion of the 2nd round of the 1st round of the Levain Cup last Wednesday (to 18:30), before moving on to Matchday 11, beginning with our new leaders Kyoto, Kobe's fruitful week, and draws for both Osaka sides (to 1:05:55). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben round up the other six games, and look ahead to games coming up in Matchday 12.

A group of seniors is learning beauty secrets. They draw in their eyebrows, select their favorite lip color and apply blush. The event is run by Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido Co. It's holding these free courses for older people across the country. Japan is the fastest-aging society in the world. More than a quarter of its population is over 65 and older, at 36 million people. In about a decade, the ratio will be one in three. This course is not just about makeup tips—it promotes useful skills for the elderly. It takes hand dexterity to open cosmetic tubes and draw eyebrows nicely, and massaging the face gets one's saliva glands going, according to Miwa Hiraku, the makeup class instructor. The demographic is one businesses have traditionally been less interested in. But that is changing. "To begin with, the marketing I specialize in, I have generally targeted younger people up until now. … As the population structure changes, we must start paying attention to older individuals as well,” says Akira Shimizu, professor of business at Keio University. The elderly market is estimated to grow to more than 100 trillion yen ($650 billion) in size this year, according to a study by Mizuho Bank. And that business isn't just about remedies for sicknesses and old folks' homes but taps into solid consumerism. "In fashion, for example, the people who I call ‘cool grandpas' or ‘cute grannies' tend to want to try high-end products. Additionally, unlike in the past, these people often have a lot of friends of the opposite sex, which is an important point. They feel the need to dress nicely and wear makeup, especially for men, who feel they should maintain a sense of cleanliness. I think this is an interesting aspect of the market," says Shimizu. Shiseido Co., which started out as a pharmacy in 1872, prides itself on being an expert on health, stressing that makeup is not just good for your physical well-being but also your soul. Just because they're older doesn't mean they want to give up on beauty and fashion. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

We round up two full rounds of top flight fixtures (with a focus on the weekend's Matchday 4) in this week's episode, towards the end of which we're joined by Neil Debnam to chat about the early days of Shigetoshi Hasebe's reign at Kawasaki. We begin with the games involving the top three - new leaders Kashiwa, who climbed to the summit with a win away at Urawa, then Shonan's draw at Yokohama F.Marinos and Hiroshima's narrow win at home over Yokohama FC - before moving on to Kashima's win over FC Tokyo, and the battle between promoted sides Okayama and Shimizu, then away wins for Machida, Gamba Osaka and Fukuoka (their first of the season), before wrapping up Part 1 with the draw between Niigata and Cerezo Osaka (to 1:03:35). Then Neil joins us to discuss Kawasaki's 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Kyoto - Sanga's first win of the year - and Frontale's prospects in the ACL Elite Round of 16 against Shanghai Shenhua, before we wrap up the episode with a look at the fixtures in J1 Matchday 5. Please check out Neil's Frontale Rabbit blog.

A J1 começou com duas rodadas repletas de surpresas. Shonan e Shimizu lideram a tabela, mas ainda é só o começo.O Hinomaru está disponível em diversos agregadores de podcast: Spotify, Itunes podcast, Googlepodcast, Pocketcasts, Addict podcast, Radiopublic entre outros.Podcast: https://anchor.fm/hinomaru Deixe seu recado para o Hinomaru abaixo do vídeo ou participe pelo nosso e-mail hinomarupodcast@gmail.comRedes sociais:https://linktr.ee/hinomaru?s=08Recomendações:Pagina doGlauberTanakahttps://www.facebook.com/glauber.tirasPagina do jornalista Tiago Bontempohttps://globoesporte.globo.com/blogs/futebol-no-japao/Livro Samurais Azuis de Tiago Bontempohttps://leiacorner.com.br/produto/samurais-azuis/Nosso feed RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/4b16eacc/podcast/rssGrupo no Whatsapphttps://chat.whatsapp.com/HLL9THlT3Fi5NZ2ZKc3GuvSiga o canal "Hinomaru Podcast" no WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaZPNYsCRs1gwLq92V1O#podcast #J1 #JLEAGUE2025

Jonny and Ben were pleased to welcome Stuart Woodward back to the pod, to chat about his trip to Hiroshima for Yokohama F.Marinos' visit to Sanfrecce on Sunday, a cagey affair settled by a correct, but unfortunate, penalty decision against visiting defender Jeisson Quinones that saw Hiroshima stay perfect after two rounds (to 27:20). Then in Part 2 we chat the other two sides with spotless records, Shimizu and Shonan, then move on to the four teams that won for the first time this season on Saturday, and finish with the three Matchday 2 draws.

Ab in die Fermentationsblase! Zu Gast ist diesmal Markus Schimizu, Gründer von Mimi Ferments, der euch in die Kunst der Fermentation einführt und genau erklärt, was beim Fermentationsprozess geschieht und welche organischen Stoffe dabei transformiert werden. Im Gespräch erkundet Stefan Fak mit ihm, wie traditionelle Techniken aus Japan mit innovativen Ansätzen verbunden werden können. Außerdem berichtet Markus von seinen Workshops, in denen er den Teilnehmern hilft, ein besseres Verständnis für Fermentation zu entwickeln. In dieser Folge erwartet euch also ein umfassender Einblick in die Herausforderungen und Freuden des Fermentierens und ihr lernt aktuellen Trends in diesem Bereich kennen. Denn eins ist klar: die steigende Nachfrage nach innovativen Fermentations-Produkten, die vor allem via Social Media ihre Verbreitung finden, haucht der jahrausende alten Technik neues Leben ein. *** Instagram *** Folgt Food Fak(t) auch auf Instagram @foodfakt_podcast und bleibt auf dem Laufenden! Hier posten wir zusätzliche Informationen zu den Themen, über die Stefan und seine Gäste im Podcast sprechen: https://www.instagram.com/foodfakt_podcast/

Now that we're up and running, our J1 season previews roll on galactically on this episode, with five more teams under the microscope. We begin with a J-Talk crossing of the streams, as Jon Steele guests to preview promoted clubs Yokohama FC (to 42:15) and Shimizu (to 1:09:00), before Jonny and Ben run the rule over Shonan (to 1:29:30) and Yokohama F.Marinos (to 1:52:35) in Part 2. Then in Part 3 we were delighted to welcome Kawasaki correspondent Neil Debnam back to the pod to preview the brave new dawn at Todoroki. You can keep track of all the goings on at Frontale on Neil's blog, and he's now on Bluesky, too.

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.It's a big Open The Voice Gate this week as Case and Mike are back to talk Dragongate, The Final Gate, and Konomama Ichikawa's retirement. They lead off with the Shimizu situation, GLEAT's PR and Subscription strategy. Then it's time to talk The Final Gate, the YAMATO vs Dragon Dia Double Dream and Brave Gate matches, and the rest of Dragongate's final “big show of the year. After that, Case and Mike review today's Korakuen with Konomama Ichikawa vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, a 3 way 6 man tag and a lot of fun from Tokyo!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open The Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.Mike is back with a bit of a Voice Gate update on his lunch break! He discusses the Shimizu suspension, what is known, where things are, and what he expects to come from this. After that, he talks about the Final Gate card changes, the full card for 12/17's Ichikawa Retirement show and spends some time laying the argument on why Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa was the greatest comedy wrestler of all time.Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open The Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hello Kitty, one of the most loved Sanrio characters, is marking her 50th anniversary with a bang. A new exhibition marking the milestone opened in Tokyo's National Museum called 'As I change, so does she' on Nov. 1. The bubble-headed mouthless cat is going as strong as ever, popping up on everything from keychains and purses to McDonald's Happy Meals. She cut the ribbon to open a new exhibition in Tokyo, looking back at five decades of her memorabilia. She (and it is a she, according to her creator Sanrio Co.) represents every prefecture in Japan, splashed on various regional products, snowflake-covered for northernmost Hokkaido, while a tropical Hello Kitty jumping out of a mango hails from the southern islands of Okinawa. Michiko Shimizu, a professor at Kansai University of International Studies, calls herself a "Kitt-ler," meaning a big fan of Hello Kitty. She bought a small purse for herself in 1975, which turned out to be the first merchandise of the character. "We counted the Hello Kitty items in my research room, including the goto-chi (localized) Kittys (in 2006). When we reached around a thousand, we had to stop," she says. "In general, I buy things that have Kitty-chan. My eraser is Kitty-chan, my pencil is Kitty-chan. I'm often asked (how many items I own) but it is countless." Hello Kitty's success lies in that strategy of relatively unrestricted use in return for a licensing fee, being flexible and open to collaborations and third-party use. Sanrio operates amusement parks and stores, and makes films, video games and publications, all with references to Hello Kitty galore. The Tokyo-based company's concept is: “minna nakayoku,” which means, “everyone gets along,” a fitting description for the way it runs its business. The way Sanrio puts it: “Spreading the circle of happiness.” "Kitty-chan's strength is that she is a mere design, I think. Of course, there is a rough profile, but that is something created later and it is not that significant. That simple design—with a round face, and a button-like nose, a big bow and no mouth—makes it possible for her to be anything. She is accepted by various generations and countries," says Shimizu. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

O Khmer Vermelho ficou pouco tempo no poder, mas deixou uma marca na história do Camboja pra sempre. Separe trinta minutos do seu dia e aprenda com o professor Vítor Soares (@profvitorsoares) sobre a história de Pol Pot. - Se você quiser ter acesso a episódios exclusivos e quiser ajudar o História em Meia Hora a continuar de pé, clique no link: www.apoia.se/historiaemmeiahora Compre o livro "História em Meia Hora - Grandes Civilizações"! https://www.loja.literatour.com.br/produto/pre-venda-livro-historia-em-meia-hora-grandes-civilizacoesversao-capa-dura/ Compre meu primeiro livro-jogo de história do Brasil "O Porão": https://amzn.to/4a4HCO8 Compre nossas camisas, moletons e muito mais coisas com temática História na Lolja! www.lolja.com.br/creators/historia-em-meia-hora/ PIX e contato: historiaemmeiahora@gmail.com Apresentação: Prof. Vítor Soares. Roteiro: Prof. Vítor Soares e Prof. Victor Alexandre (@profvictoralexandre) REFERÊNCIAS USADAS: GILBERT, Martin. A História do Século XX. São Paulo: Planeta, 2016 SCARMELOTO, Klaus. A tragédia Cambojana: O movimento revolucionário camponês precisa da liderança do proletariado | Marxist.org MARTINS, Rui Décio; DE CASTRO, Kátia Shimizu. A ONU E OS PROCESSOS CONTRA O KHMER VERMELHO NO CAMBOJA. Revista da Faculdade de Direito de São Bernardo do Campo, v. 12, 2006. ARBAGE, Jorge. O bombardeio do Camboja (1969-1973): uma análise a respeito de suas causas e seu impacto na ascensão do Khmer Vermelho. Epígrafe, São Paulo, v.7, n.7, pp. 263-285, 2019

Time is running out for promotion playoff hopefuls in Japan's 2nd and 3nd tiers, and James Taylor, Jon Steele and Mike Innes bring you every twist and turn in the battle to finish in the top 6. First, James and Jon discuss games involving J2's top 7: Shimizu v Iwaki, Yokohama FC V Tochigi and JEF United v Nagasaki (start to 12:05); Okayama v Fujieda, Mito v Yamagata, and Kumamoto v Sendai (12:05 to 26:10). Then they choose their Most Bravo Players (26:10 to 30:00) and look ahead to the final day of the regular season (30:00 to 40:15). After that, the action just keeps coming, as Mike brings you a full roundup of another dramatic J3 matchday in J-Talk: Short Corner (40:15 to end).   Thanks as always for your support of JTET, JTSC, and the J-Talk Podcast! Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

Time was against the JTET crew this week, so the only option was for Jon Steele to record a quick-and-dirty solo mini-pod to review last weekend's J2 action! In a brisk 8 minutes, Jon discusses defeats for the top 2 in Round 35, victory for third-placed Nagasaki, and the state of play in the relegation zone. There's also the customary preview of this weekend's games (Round 36), which could see both Yokohama FC and Shimizu clinch promotion back to J1 (if they don't shit their pants like they did in Round 35). Hope the pod is a decent listen, and Jon and James should be back together for a 'normal' JTET next week!

From the sunny skies of Salem, Masachusetts comes our live show from Salem Horror Fest on Takashi Shimizu's 2004 film The Grudge, just in time for its 20th anniversary! Join us as we go all in on the J-horror craze of the aughts before delving into Shimizu's remake of his own film, Ju-on: The Grudge (2002). Recorded in front of a live audience, you can now listen in the comfort of your own home! Questions? Comments? Snark? Connect with the boys on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Letterboxd, Facebook, or join the Facebook Group to get in touch with other listeners > Trace: @tracedthurman > Joe: @bstolemyremote Be sure to support the boys on Patreon!  Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is my final follow along episode on the Hulu series In Vogue: The 90s. The first episode aired September 13th and the series is showing on Hulu in the States and Disney+ here in the UK. As the title suggests, the 6-part series is all about Vogue, the most well-known fashion magazine in the world, and specifically focuses on the power of Vogue in the 90s. For the past few weeks I've been sharing these listen-along episodes breaking down some of the main stories and also adding my own 90s beauty moment at the end of each one. I'd love to know if you're watching the show too so be sure to tag me @charisse_kenion over on Instagram. I'd love to know if you've watched In Vogue in its entirety and now that it's over, what do you think? Do we need a season 2? If you enjoyed this episode please let me know by either dropping a DM over @charisse_kenion on Instagram or commenting directly on Spotify because now we can actually chat to each other over there. Also, if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review or a rating wherever you like to get your podcasts and finally, make sure to follow the show wherever you listen so you never miss another episode plus you'll also be helping me to build this community! Artwork image via Hulu/Disney+ Courting controversy; how Calvin Klein uses provocation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/32uFwO7vKlN3K5WO0xiJ2w?si=b2cbe13cd77741e8 CK1 video: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdJ13bB4/ Ep. 181; Beauty Bio: The importance of ‘90s model Jenny Shimizu when it comes to race and sexuality: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lBQ2ftdASmyY5gbbi6QIa?si=244518638f124e8e Donna Karan's Cashmere Mist on Fragrantica.com: https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Donna-Karan/Cashmere-Mist-Eau-de-Toilette-496.html Find me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CharisseKenionYT Find me on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@charisse_kenion/ BeautyMe newsletter: https://beautymenotes.substack.com Find me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charissekenion BeautyMe on ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/beautyme 

Jon Steele, James Taylor and Mike Innes bring you up to date with all the latest drama in J2 and J3. In the first part of this week's episode, Jon and James talk about the relegation 6-pointer between Tochigi and Kagoshima (start to 10:45), the Shizuoka Derby that saw Fujieda take on Shimizu (10:45 to 21:10), and playoff rivals JEF United v Yamaguchi (21:10 to 32:55). Then they make their unsurprising choices for Most Bravo Player (32:55 to 36:40) and look ahead to the coming round of fixtures (36:40 to 44:30). Then, Mike reviews J3 matchday 29 in full in J-Talk: Short Corner (44:30 to end).   Thanks as always for your support of JTET, JTSC, and the J-Talk Podcast! Buy tickets for J-Talk Live (Saturday 12th October) at the Yokohama Football Film Festival here: https://teket.jp/6232/38395 Join the JTET/JTSC Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

There's no rest for the wicked, so although J1 took a break for international football, J2 and J3 continued apace, and James Taylor, Jon Steele and Mike Innes have all the latest from Japan's 2nd and 3rd tiers. James and Jon begin by talking about Shimizu v Nagasaki (start to 09:40), Yamaguchi v Tokushima (09:40 to 17:30), and Kagoshima v Iwaki (17:30 to 27:35), then make their picks for Most Bravo Player (27:35 to 34:00) and preview upcoming league and cup games (34:00 to 43:35). Then, as ever, Mike Innes brings you a full and frank review of all the J3 games in J-Talk: Short Corner (43:35 to end).   Thanks as always for your support of JTET, JTSC, and the J-Talk Podcast! Buy tickets for J-Talk Live at the Yokohama Football Film Festival here: https://teket.jp/6232/38395 Join the JTET/JTSC Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

In the quest for a more sustainable future, technological innovation plays a pivotal role. At the forefront of this movement is Shimizu Shinya, Founder and CEO of Elephantech Inc. With a profound commitment to environmental sustainability and a passion for groundbreaking science, Shimizu is transforming the landscape of electronics manufacturing. His journey from a science enthusiast in Japan to leading an innovative tech company embodies the intersection of cutting-edge technology and ecological responsibility. Join us as we explore Shimizu's vision, the revolutionary technology behind Elephantech, and the company's mission to engineer a greener planet. [01:11] - About Shimizu Shinya Shimizu is the Co-founder and CEO of Elephantech Inc. He started his career as a Business Analyst with McKinsey & Company. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

Hideo Shimizu, a former member of Unit 731, the notorious germ warfare detachment of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, stood with his head bowed and hands folded on Tuesday morning in front of the Apology and Peace Monument in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.清水英男（Hideo Shimizu）是二战期间日本侵华实施细菌战的731部队的前成员。8月13日，他低着头，双手合十站在位于哈尔滨的“谢罪与不战和平之碑”前表示忏悔。"I would like to express my sincere apologies and repentance to the Chinese victims, the victims of Unit 731, and the deceased," he said.他说：“在这里我真的深感抱歉，向逝去的受害者表达哀悼，因为我们的种种暴行给受害者带来了巨大的灾难，我们深感抱歉。”After 79 years, Shimizu, who is now 94, returned to Harbin, where Unit 731 was once located, to expose and testify to the crimes committed by his detachment during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).时隔79年，现年94岁的清水英男重返让他背负一生沉重记忆的原点——位于中国哈尔滨的侵华日军第七三一部队旧址（现为侵华日军第七三一部队罪证陈列馆），揭发731部队在抗日战争（1931-1945）期间犯下的罪行。He boarded a flight from Osaka's Kansai International Airport on Monday morning and arrived in Harbin in the evening.12日，刚过完94岁生日的清水英男从日本大阪关西国际机场出发，并于晚上抵达哈尔滨。On Tuesday, Shimizu visited and identified the notorious Japanese force's old guardhouse sites, the headquarters building, the bacteriology laboratory, the special prison and the frostbite laboratory at the Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by the Japanese Army Unit 731, before publicly expressing his repentance at the museum's Apology and Peace Monument.清水英男先后到卫兵所旧址、本部大楼旧址、细菌实验室遗址、特设监狱遗址、冻伤实验室旧址等地指认，后来到“谢罪与不战和平之碑”前进行忏悔谢罪。Shimizu was about 14 years old and among the last batches of Unit 731 Youth Corps members when he was sent to Harbin in March 1945. He spent more than four months witnessing the war crimes committed by his unit, including the cultivation of pathogens, human dissections and experiments on humans.1945 年 3 月，清水英男大约14岁，是731部队“少年队”最后一期的成员。当时他被派往哈尔滨，4个多月的经历目睹了731部队犯下的战争罪行，包括病毒培养、人体解剖和人体实验。Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin in 1935.It was the nerve center of Japanese germ warfare in China and Southeast Asia. At least 3,000 people were used for human experiments by Unit 731, and more than 300,000 people across China were killed by Japan's biological weapons.731部队于1935年建在今黑龙江省哈尔滨市平房区，是世界历史上规模最大的细菌武器研究、实验及制造基地，至少有3000人在这里被用于人体实验，全国有30多万人被日本的生物武器杀害。Shimizu recalled the day when he was taken to the herbarium inside the lab complex. "There were all kinds of human specimens inside — the heart, the stomach, the lungs. I was shocked by the brutality."清水回忆起他被带到实验室大楼内标本室的那一天。他说：“里面有各种各样的人体标本——心脏、胃、肺，我对那些残忍的行为感到异常震惊。”On Aug 14, 1945, Shimizu fled China with the retreating Japanese forces.1945年8月14日，清水随撤退的日军逃离中国。Before leaving China, Unit 731 tried to gun down all survivors and destroy incriminating evidence of the atrocities it committed.在离开中国之前，731部队试图枪杀所有幸存者，销毁其所犯暴行的罪证。After returning to Japan, Shimizu was haunted by the guilt of what he saw and what he was forced to participate in.回到日本后，那地狱般的景象一直在他的脑中挥之不去。In 2016, he revealed his identity as a former Unit 731 member and began to expose the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army through public speeches and interviews, aiming to reveal historical truths.2016年，他公开了自己前731部队成员的身份，并开始通过公开演讲和采访揭露日本陆军犯下的暴行，揭示历史真相。"Historical facts cannot be covered up," Shimizu wrote in a signed article published on Monday in People's Daily. "I am determined to return to the site of Unit 731 before I die to express my deepest apologies to the Chinese people who had been hurt, and hope to arouse more people's reflection and vigilance, cherish the hard-won peace, and avoid the recurrence of the tragedy of war."清水在人民日报发文《历史事实不容掩盖》：“历史事实不容掩盖。我决心在有生之年回到侵华日军第七三一部队旧址，向受到伤害的中国人民表达最深切的歉意，也希望唤起更多人的反思和警醒，珍惜来之不易的和平，避免战争悲剧重演。”On Saturday, before departure from his home in Nagano prefecture, Shimizu told Xinhua News Agency that it was his "first return to China in 79 years" and he had two wishes.8月10日，清水在离开长野县的家中之前告诉新华社，“时隔79年重返中国，”清水说自己有两个心愿。"One is to sincerely pray for those who perished at the hands of Unit 731 and to apologize to their families, while the other wish is to learn more about the impact of the plague released by the Japanese Imperial Army in Harbin after the war, a topic on which there is little testimony in Japan," he said.“一是想以个人名义真诚地为那些惨遭731部队杀害的人祈福，向受难者家属谢罪。二是想了解日本战败后哈尔滨当地的鼠疫受害情况，这方面日本的证言还非常少。”Jin Chengmin, curator of the Harbin museum, said that most of Unit 731's former members are now deceased.731部队罪证馆馆长金成民表示，731部队的前成员大多已经去世。"Shimizu is currently the only surviving member who is willing to expose the unit's crimes to the public, and he is likely to be the last Unit 731 member to return to Harbin. Before him, there were four who did the same," Jin added.“‘731部队'名簿记录了3600多名成员，绝大多数已不在世，清水英男是第5位返回哈尔滨现场指认、谢罪的原队员，也可能是最后一位。”金成民说。Apology and Peace Monumentn.“谢罪与不战和平之碑”Japanese Imperial Armyn.日本陆军Harbin museumn.731部队罪证馆

Hideo Shimizu, a former member of Unit 731, the notorious Japanese germ-warfare detachment during World War II, arrived by plane in the city of Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province, on Monday evening, expecting to testify and expose the crimes committed by the unit during the Japanese invasion of China during the war.北京时间8月12日晚，731部队原队员清水英男乘飞机抵达哈尔滨，731部队是二战期间臭名昭著的日本细菌战基地，清水英男此行是为了证实和揭露侵华日军在二战期间犯下的罪行。He is expected to visit the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army and the former site of Unit 731 on Tuesday.他计划于13日参观侵华日军第七三一部队罪证陈列馆和731部队遗址。Shimizu, 94, was among the last batch of Unit 731 Youth Corps members sent by Japan to Harbin, China, where he spent more than four months witnessing the war crimes committed by the unit, including the cultivation of pathogens, human dissections and human experiments. He fled China with the retreating Japanese forces on August 14, 1945.今年已有94岁高龄的清水英男，曾是最后一批被派往哈尔滨731部队“少年队”的成员，他在731度过了四个多月，亲眼目睹日军犯下了细菌培植、人体解剖和人体实验这些罪行。1945年8月14日，日军败退，他随日军撤离中国。In 2016, Shimizu revealed his identity as a former Unit 731 member and began to expose the atrocities of the Japanese Imperial Army through public speeches and interviews, aiming to tell historical truths.2016年，清水英男公布了自己曾是731部队“少年队”队员的身份，此后便不断通过公共演讲和采访，致力于向公众揭露侵华日军的暴行，还原历史真相。This visit is Shimizu's first return to Chinese soil in 79 years. He has previously expressed a strong desire to return to China to pray for the deceased and apologize to their families. The trip was made possible by donations from various Japanese civilian groups.时隔79年，清水英男首次回到中国。他一直非常想回来为那些惨遭731部队杀害的人祈福，向受难者家属谢罪。清水英男得到了各种日本民间和平团体的资助，这次行程才得以实现。"The war ended 79 years ago, and most members of Unit 731 have passed away. Shimizu is currently the only surviving member who is willing to expose the Unit's crimes publicly, and he is likely to be the last Unit 731 member to return to Harbin," said Jin Chengmin, curator of the exhibition hall.731部队罪证陈列馆馆长金成民说：“这场战役在79年前早已结束，许多部队成员也早已离世，清水英男是现存的唯一一个愿意向公众揭露731罪行的部队成员，也可能是最后一个能够回到哈尔滨的731成员”。Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during World War II.731部队是日军在哈尔滨建立的高度保密的生物战和化学战研究基地，是二战期间，日军使用生物战打击中国和东南亚的神经中枢。At least 3,000 people were used in human experiments by Unit 731, while more than 300,000 people in China were killed by Japan's biological weapons. 至少有3000名受害者被731部队用于人体实验，而至少有300,000名中国人丧生于日本的生化武器。 Germn.细菌Pathogensn.病原体Atrocitiesn.暴行；滔天罪行

The Grudge is a 2004 American supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu, written by Stephen Susco. A remake of Shimizu's 2002 Japanese horror film Ju-On: The Grudge, it is the first installment in The Grudge film series. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, KaDee Strickland, Clea DuVall, and Bill Pullman. Takako Fuji, Yuya Ozeki, and Takashi Matsuyama portray the main family characters from the original films. The film was produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Takashige Ichise, who brought Shimizu, director of the original Japanese films, to the US for this remake. The music for the film was composed by horror score aficionado Christopher Young. If you have anything to add to the discussion, please don't hesitate to do so by reaching out to us on social media @TheFilmFlamers, or call our hotline and leave us a message at 972-666-7733!            Watch The Grudge: https://amzn.to/3yzEnkt         Out this Month: Shooting the Flames The Grudge Ju-On: The Grudge (Patreon)     Coming in September 2024: Wes Craven's New Nightmare Freddy vs Jason (Patreon)      Get in Touch:  Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheFilmFlamers  Visit our Store: https://teespring.com/stores/thefilmflamers  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFilmFlamers  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefilmflamers  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFilmFlamers/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/thefilmflamers/ Our Website: https://www.filmflamers.com  Call our Hotline: 972-666-7733     Our Patrons:    Alex M Andrew Bower Anthony Criswell Ashlie Thornbury BattleBurrito Benjamin Gonzalez Bennett Hunter BreakfastChainsawMassacre Call me Lestat. Canadianmatt3 CenobiteBetty Christopher Nelson Cj Mcginnis Dan Alvarez Gia-Ranita Pitt Gillian Murtagh GlazedDonut GWilliamNYC Irwan Iskak James Aumann Jessica E Joanne Ellison Josh Young Julia 90 Alison Kimberly McGuirk Kitty Kelly Kyle Kavanagh Laura O'Malley Lisa Libby Livi Loch Hightower M Hussman Mac Daddy Marissa E Mary Matthew McHenry Nicole McDaniel Nikki (phillyenginerd) Niko Allred Orion Yannotti Penelope Nelson random dude Robert Eppers Rosieredleader Ryan King Sean Homrig Sinesthero The Dean Swann Tony Pellonari Walstrich William Harris William Skinner   Sweet dreams...      "Welcome to Horrorland" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Includes music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

After a relaxing summer break, JTET is back with a forensic look at the big stories from last weekend's Round 25 games in J2. This week, Jon Steele was joined by special guest co-host Jonny Nicol, and the boys began with a quick chat about the exciting 'J-Talk Live' announcement made earlier on Big Pod (Start to 05:00). The Two Jonnies then discuss selected games from J2 Round 25, starting with Shimizu's defeat at Sendai (05:00 to 16:20) and followed by Iwaki's home victory over ten-man Akita (16:20 to 29:00). Part 1 is rounded off with a discussion of this week's 'Most Bravo Player' (29:00 to 33:20), and a look ahead to the upcoming Round 26 games this weekend (33:20 to 37:50). In Part 2, Jon quizzes Jonny on his thoughts about the J2 season so far, including a mention of his superb 'Scouting Report' on Yamaguchi's Kota Kawano (38:00 to Finish). Thanks as always for your support of JTET, and The J-Talk Podcast! You can find Jonny's Scouting Report on his excellent blog here: https://gambaosakaenglishblog.wordpress.com/2024/08/05/scouting-report-kota-kawano/ Join the JTET Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join The J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

Last time we spoke about the fall of Saipan. General Smith's coordinated attacks on June 27th led to significant progress, with the 4th Marine Division notably advancing. The 27th Division encountered resistance, and casualties rose. By early July, Americans gained ground, pushing toward Marpi Point. Japanese resistance remained fierce, but American forces steadily advanced, capturing strategic positions. The assault on Petosukara was swiftly countered, but intense action unfolded in the Makunsha region. The 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines faced a fierce enemy thrust, with over 200 attackers killed. Facing defeat, General Saito ordered a suicidal assault, resulting in a chaotic and desperate charge. Despite heavy losses, American forces repelled the onslaught. The battle lasted until midday on July 7, with sporadic skirmishes continuing. Efforts to persuade cave occupants to surrender intensified, yet many civilians chose mass suicide. Saipan was declared secured after extensive casualties on both sides.  This episode is the battle of Noemfoor  Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  General MacArthur unleashed a new offensive, seeing General Patrick's troops successfully landed on Noemfoor with little opposition, securing a beachhead. While the 3rd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Regiment was being airdropped on July 4, Colonel Sandlin's 3rd Battalion continued eastward through scattered minefields toward Kornasoren Drome, meeting no resistance. Simultaneously, the 1st Battalion crossed the Kamiri River and occupied Kamiri village without encountering any opposition. Moving out of Kamiri, the American forces followed a southeastern road to a sizable Japanese garden area, where they faced resistance on Hill 201.  The Japanese garden area was about 600 yards long, east and west, and 350 yards across, north to south. The ground was devoid of large trees except for a few atop Hill 201, but thick, secondary jungle growth covered the eastern and southern slopes of the hill, while the rest of the garden area was overgrown with partially cultivated papaya, taro, and cassava, all averaging about eight feet in height. The trail from Kamiri village passed over the southern slope of Hill 201, and 300 yards away, near the eastern edge of the gardens, joined the main road from Kamiri Drome to Namber Drome, located about six miles to the south. Another trail ran along the eastern side of the hill, branching to the north and northwest at the northeastern corner of the low terrain feature. To counter this, a double envelopment tactic was initiated, with Company C seizing Hill 180 to the north while Company B pushed the Japanese southeast over Mission Hill, a lower terrain feature situated southeast of Hill 201. By 15:15, the battalion secured the ground on both flanks of Hill 201 and consolidated around the hilltop for the night, establishing a tight defensive perimeter. At 05:20 on July 5, the Japanese launched an attack along the southern and southeastern sides of the perimeter with mortar support. The American forces responded with a deadly barrage of mortar and artillery fire, driving the enemy back and neutralizing their machine-gun positions. Some Japanese managed to get through the mortar and artillery barrages and continued up the sides of the trail from the south through fire from Company D's machine guns. The enemy found cover behind a low, 150-yard-long log fence which led from the southeast toward the center of the 1st Battalion's defenses. While the fence afforded some protection, the attacking infantrymen were silhouetted as they tried to clamber over the top. The main body of the attacking force therefore kept down behind the fence, trying to crawl along it to the top of the hill. Advancing cautiously, the attackers encountered sustained machine-gun and rifle fire from the defenders atop the hill, as the fence did not extend beyond the outer defenses of the 1st Battalion. The assault quickly deteriorated into a sequence of small suicide charges carried out by groups of three to six Japanese soldiers. The 1st Battalion now sent patrols out over the battlefield. From prisoners it was determined that the attacking force had consisted of 350 to 400 men--the 10th and 12th Companies, 219th Infantry, reinforced by approximately 150 armed Formosan laborers. During the morning over 200 dead Japanese were counted around the 1st Battalion's perimeter, and the number of enemy dead found or enemy wounded captured on subsequent days along trails leading south from the hill indicated that virtually the entire original attacking force had been annihilated.    By 06:30, the skirmish had concluded, with over 200 Japanese casualties tallied. Following this engagement, operations on Noemfoor transitioned into a series of patrol activities as Allied forces extended their dominance over the island and rapidly expanded the airfield facilities. On the morning of July 6, Sandlin's 2nd Battalion executed an amphibious landing on the deserted Namber Drome following a brief naval bombardment. By July 10, intensive patrolling had only encountered small Japanese groups, leading Patrick to conclude that no significant organized enemy presence remained on Noemfoor. To eradicate the remaining opposition, the 503rd Parachute Regiment was dispatched to the island's southern sector while the 158th addressed the northern half. By the end of August, Sandlin's efforts had resulted in the death of 611 Japanese soldiers, the capture of 179, the loss of 6 American lives with 41 wounded, and the liberation of 209 slave laborers.  The Japanese had never brought the Melanesians of Noemfoor entirely under their control, for the natives had either offered a passive resistance or had faded into the interior to live off the land. A few were impressed into service by the Japanese, while others who were captured but still refused to cooperate were executed. The natives greeted the Allied landings with great enthusiasm and came out of hideaways in the hills carrying Dutch flags which they had concealed from the Japanese. Under the direction of the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration, the natives were gradually resettled in their old villages. Late in July the village chiefs gathered in formal council and officially declared war on the Japanese. Thereafter, native cooperation increased. Up to August 31 the natives had captured and brought to Allied outposts more than 50 Japanese and had killed another 50. One tale of horror concerns the Javanese on Noemfoor. According to information gathered by the NICA Detachment, over 3000 Indonesians were shipped to Noemfoor in late 1943, mostly from Soerabaja and other large cities on Java. The shipment included many women and children. The Japanese, without regard to age or sex, put the Javanese to work constructing roads and airfields almost entirely by hand. Little or no clothing, shoes, bedding, or shelter was provided, and the Javanese had to supplement their very inadequate allowance of rations by shifting for themselves. Driven by hunger, many attempted to steal Japanese rations but for their pains were beheaded or hung by their hands or feet until dead. Starvation and disease took a steadily increasing toll. The dead were periodically collected for mass burial, and survivors alleged that many of the sick were buried alive. It was considered probable that not more than 10 or 15 Javanese were killed accidentally by Allied forces. Yet only 403 of the 3000-odd brought from Java were found alive on Noemfoor by August 31.  Meanwhile, Colonel Jones pursued the remnants of Colonel Shimizu's Noemfoor Detachment to Hill 670 in the south. From July 13 to 16, both sides engaged in fierce combat for control of the hill, with the Japanese ultimately managing to evade capture. Contact was reestablished on July 23 near Inasi, but Shimizu eluded capture once more. The primary Japanese force was finally located on August 10 near Hill 380, prompting Jones' 1st and 3rd Battalions to converge in an attempt to trap the enemy. However, on August 15, Shimizu once again evaded capture, slipping away towards Pakriki. Although the Japanese forces were either captured or eliminated by August 17, Shimizu evaded capture or death and remained at large by the operation's conclusion. Jones' forces endured 57 fatalities and 302 injuries, but managed to neutralize over 1100 Japanese soldiers and apprehend approximately 560 individuals, while liberating an additional 194 enslaved laborers. This brings the total casualties for the Battle of Noemfoor to 1730 Japanese casualties, with 740 taken prisoner, and 63 American fatalities, 343 wounded, and 3 missing, alongside the liberation of 403 slave laborers. Transitioning to the developments on the Aitape front post-Operation Persecution, significant changes occurred under General Gill's command starting May 4. The defensive setup in the Aitape region was revamped, and Colonel Howe's 127th Regiment bolstered its eastern positions, with the Nyaparake Force extending patrols to the Danmap River. However, General Nakai's advance forces arrived in early May. Shortly after 2:00am on 14 May, after a short preparation by grenades, light mortars, and light machine guns, 100 to 200 Japanese of the 78th Infantry, 20th Division, attacked from the east against the coastal sector of the perimeter. This assault was broken up by rifle and automatic weapons fire and by lobbing mortar shells to the rear of the advancing enemy group. The Japanese disappeared into the jungle south of the narrow beach. For the next hour Captain Fulmer's mortars placed harassing fire into suspected enemy assembly points east of the small stream. Meanwhile, the eight-man outpost reported that many small parties of Japanese were moving up the beach within 300 yards of the main perimeter and then slipping southward into the jungle. Such maneuvers seemed to presage another attack. The second assault came about 0330, this time against the eastern and southeastern third of the defenses. The Japanese were again beaten back by small arms and mortar fire, but at 5:00am they made a final effort which covered the entire eastern half of the perimeter. This last attack was quickly broken up and the Japanese quieted down. About 7:30am on the 14th, elements of Company A, 127th Infantry, began moving into the forward perimeter to reinforce Captain Fulmer's beleaguered units. The 1st Platoon of Company C and the 81-mm. mortar section also moved forward in preparation for continuing the advance. General Martin took charge of the East Sector on the same day, relocating all troops except the Nyaparake Force to the west bank of the Driniumor River. The East Sector forces were supplied by a variety of methods. Units along the coast were supported directly by small boat from BLUE Beach or by native ration trains moving along the coastal track. Supplies to the Afua area went south from the coast along the Anamo-Afua trail or, later, over the inland track from the Tadji fields through Chinapelli and Palauru. Wheeled transport was impracticable except along short stretches of the coastal track. In early June, when the Japanese ambushed many ration parties which attempted to reach Afua, experiments were made with air supply from the Tadji strips. Breakage and loss were heavy at first, but air supply rapidly became more successful as pilots gained experience and ground troops located good dropping grounds. A dropping ground cleared on the west bank of the Driniumor about 2200 yards north of Afua soon became the principal source of supply for troops in the Afua area. Communications during operations east of the Driniumor were carried out principally by radio, but between units along the river and from the stream back to higher headquarters telephone became the principal means of communication. Keeping the telephone lines in service was a task to which much time and effort had to be devoted. The Japanese continually cut the lines, or American troops and heavy equipment accidentally broke the wires. The enemy often stationed riflemen to cover breaks in the line, thus making repair work dangerous. Usually, it was found less time consuming and less hazardous to string new wire than to attempt to find and repair breaks. As a result, miles of telephone wire soon lined the ground along the trails or was strung along the trees in the Driniumor River area and back to the Tadji perimeter. Despite this adjustment, Nakai escalated pressure, advancing beyond Yakamul by month's end. In response, Gill replaced the Nyaparake Force with the 1st Battalion, 126th Regiment, which swiftly recaptured Yakamul and Parakovio. Despite initial success, Nakai's forces launched a heavy counterattack in early June, reclaiming Yakamul by June 5.   In the meantime, additional Japanese units had been conducting exploratory missions inland against Afua since the beginning of the month. However, Howe's 1st Battalion ultimately succeeded in repelling them. This allowed Martin's forces to establish an outer defensive line along the Driniumor River. From there, they continued forward patrols toward the Japanese lines. While the 41st and 51st Divisions struggled to move personnel and supplies to the forward assembly area, Nakai efficiently organized a counter-reconnaissance screen along Niumen Creek to prevent East Sector troops from gathering intelligence about deployments farther east. On June 20, due to the increasingly dire situation in Western New Guinea, the 18th Army was suddenly transferred from 2nd Area Army control to the direct command of the Southern Army. Although General Terauchi's directive was to execute a "delaying action at strategic positions," General Adachi opted to adhere to his original plans for a westward offensive. He was determined to maximize the effectiveness of his forces while they still possessed fighting capability, aiming to divert as much enemy strength as possible away from the Western New Guinea battlefront. Sensing an imminent heavy enemy assault, Generals Krueger and MacArthur decided to reinforce Aitape with General Cunningham's 112th Cavalry Regiment, arriving on June 27, and Colonel Edward “Ted” Starr's 124th Regiment, expected to arrive in early July. They also expedited the shipment of the 43rd Division from its New Zealand staging area to Aitape, necessitating the establishment of Major-General Charles Hall's 11th Corps. Upon assuming command of the task force on June 29, Hall reorganized his forces and implemented several troop redeployments in preparation for the looming enemy attack. By June 30th, Adachi had completed concentrating his forces in the assembly area. Consequently, he swiftly initiated preparations for launching an attack against the Driniumor River line on July 10th. His strategy involved Colonel Nara Masahiko's 237th Regiment crossing the river and launching an assault westward towards Koronal Creek, and northwest to clear Anamo and other Paup villages. Meanwhile, the 78th and 80th Regiments were tasked with clearing the Afua area and advancing all the way to Chinapelli. Success in this endeavor would pave the way for Japanese units to advance towards the Tadji airstrips. Furthermore, a Coastal Attack Force was designated to carry out a diversionary maneuver along the coast, aiming to engage the enemy and constrain them with artillery fire. In early July, as the Japanese finalized their preparations, Hall and Martin made the decision to dispatch robust patrols east of the Driniumor to the Harech River. However, these patrols were only able to advance as far as Yakamul, where they encountered only the enemy's forward units. Consequently, on July 10th, Hall and Martin ordered the 1st Battalion, 128th Regiment, and the 2nd Squadron, 112th Cavalry to conduct a reconnaissance mission across the Driniumor. Subsequently, the infantry faced significant resistance as they pushed towards Yakamul, while the cavalry's progress was limited to about a mile due to the dense jungle terrain. Despite these efforts yielding disappointing results, a captured Japanese soldier disclosed that their attack was imminent that night. However, this critical piece of information was mistakenly disregarded by the American command, leaving Adachi and Nakai poised to launch their counteroffensive. Around midnight, the assault commenced with the 1st Battalion, 78th Regiment charging across the Driniumor River, facing Company G of the 128th Regiment along a narrow front.  The Japanese attacked in two or three screaming waves, broadening the front after the first assault by throwing in the rest of the 78th Infantry and possibly elements of the 80th Infantry. Japanese reconnaissance had been good--the attackers knew the locations of company and battalion command posts all along the American defenses but not quite good enough. The enemy did not know that Company G had been reinforced during the afternoon of 10 July nor, apparently, had he discovered that the company's front was protected by low barbed wire. The attacks of the 78th Infantry were thrown back with heavy losses. Machine gun and mortar fire from the 2d Battalion, 128th Infantry, accounted for many Japanese, numbers of whom were caught as they tried to cross the barbed wire in front of Company G. According to Japanese sources, the results of American artillery fire were even more disastrous. As soon as the enemy attack had begun, the 120th and 129th Field Artillery Battalions had started firing previously prepared concentrations along the bed and east bank of the Driniumor. The Japanese units in or near the impact areas suffered heavy casualties. The 1st Battalion. 78th Infantry, was quickly reduced from 400 to 30 men, principally as a result of the American artillery fire, which also destroyed large numbers of artillery weapons, machine guns, and mortars. Despite this, the Americans, skillfully backed by artillery support, ultimately repelled them with significant casualties. Following this initial repulse, Martin concluded that a reconnaissance in force was unnecessary and ordered the units involved to retreat behind the Driniumor River. Confusion among many Japanese units, arriving late, had delayed the commencement of the 80th Regiment's attack, which was directed at Company E and was similarly pushed back. But a second wave of attackers, probably comprising the 237th Infantry and heretofore uncommitted elements of the Right Flank Unit, began pouring across the Driniumor toward Company E at approximately 0200. The new attackers overran the company command post and surrounded most of the unit's widely separated strong points. Fighting continued in the company sector for a little while, but the unit could not long withstand the overwhelming enemy pressure. Company organization and communications broke down. Worse still, the troops began to run out of ammunition. A general withdrawal commenced. By 03:00, the Japanese had breached a gap approximately 1300 yards wide in the American lines, physically occupying that territory. Fortunately, the following hours remained relatively calm as the 78th and 80th Regiments regrouped to the south to resume the offensive. This lull enabled Martin to dispatch the 1st Battalion, 128th Regiment to counterattack along the Anamo-Afua trail, aiming to reinforce the 2nd Battalion's positions. Initially encountering no resistance for the first 1500 yards, the Americans were eventually halted by intense enemy fire at 10:30, compelling them to retreat back to Tiver. This fierce opposition convinced Martin that the enemy could advance directly westward with minimal hindrance towards the Tadji strips unless he abandoned the Driniumor River line. He decided to reorganize his forces along the secondary delaying position at the X-ray River-Koronal Creek line, preparing for further counterattacks against the Japanese. Accordingly, while Company F maintained their position along the coast, the 128th Regiment began to fall back towards the creek. Further south, Cunningham opted to withdraw his cavalrymen in two stages, successfully reaching X-ray by midnight. However, communication issues delayed Howe's 3rd Battalion, with most of the unit arriving at the river the following day. A small contingent had to engage in combat with Japanese forces and couldn't reach X-ray until July 13. Despite this, Krueger and Hall disagreed with the decision to abandon the Driniumor, promptly deploying the 124th Regiment for a potential counterattack. Martin, who was instructed to hold his position, was replaced by Gill, assuming direct command of the divided covering force, now split into North and South Forces. However, before the American counterattack could commence, Nara's infantry launched an assault towards Tiver and Koronal Creek on July 12. The 128th Regiment successfully repelled them after a fierce confrontation. Meanwhile, Adachi dispatched the main body of the 41st Division and the reserve 66th Regiment towards the Driniumor, augmenting pressure on the Paup coast. To the south, Nakai's units gathered across the river near Afua and Kwamrgnirk, preparing for a final northward push. Finally, at 07:30 on July 13, the American counteroffensive commenced as the 1st Battalion, 128th Regiment swiftly moved from Tiver to Chakila, only to be ambushed by Japanese artillery. Nevertheless, precise artillery counterfire silenced most of the enemy artillery, enabling the Americans to advance eastward toward the mouth of the Driniumor. Meanwhile, the 124th Regiment under Starr's command advanced southward along the Anamo-Afua trail, facing strong opposition from the 237th Regiment. Despite encountering resistance, they managed to reach the river, although still positioned considerably north of their designated centerline. Cunningham's South Force began its eastward movement from the X-ray River at 10:00, successfully overcoming enemy positions along several stream crossings to reach the Driniumor near Afua. Consequently, all original crossing points on the Driniumor fell to the Allied forces, isolating the 20th Division and the 237th Regiment several miles west of the river's bank. By nightfall, Nara had regrouped his 237th Regiment for another assault on the 2nd Battalion, 128th Regiment. Company E demonstrated its combat effectiveness by holding firm and repelling the Japanese forces, with the rest of the battalion successfully defending against subsequent small-scale attacks, marking the conclusion of Nara's offensive actions. The following morning, Gill's forces consolidated their defensive positions along the reformed river line, albeit with a 1500-yard gap remaining in the center. Yet this all for today with Noemfoor as we now need to head over to the India-Burma theater. The final phase was coming for the Battle of Imphal. By the start of July, the reopening of the Imphal–Kohima Road facilitated the resupply of the 4th Corps, enabling them to launch an offensive against the fatigued and under-resourced troops under General Mutaguchi's command. Additionally, three brigades from General Stopford's 33rd Corps advanced from the north, swiftly joining General Gracey's 20th Division in an endeavor to reopen the Ukhrul Road. Under intense pressure, General Yamauchi's battered 15th Division units hastily abandoned Tongou and Sokpao, leading to the 80th Brigade occupying Lamu by July 2. The next day, the ailing general, who had long fallen out of favor with Mutaguchi, was carried from the battlefield on a stretcher and later died in a hospital at Maymyo. Lieutenant-General Shibata Uichi replaced him and promptly prepared the 51st and 67th Regiments to retreat. To cover their withdrawal, the newly arrived and utterly exhausted 60th Regiment was tasked with attacking towards Lamu, while General Miyazaki's troops assembled behind Ukhrul. However, the 60th Regiment was so weakened that its attacks were easily repelled, and the 67th Regiment retreated in disorder, leaving the 51st encircled. On July 8, Colonel Omoto's troops fiercely broke through the encirclement in three columns, allowing Stopford's brigades to finally overcome Japanese resistance at Ukhrul and capture the town. This forced Shibata to regroup his forces along a new line from Lungshong through Sangshak to Sakok, ultimately enabling the British-Indian forces to reopen the Ukhrul Road by July 10. With both supply roads reopened, the arrival of Stopford's brigades from the north, and the Japanese forces nearly routed, General Slim decided it was time to go on the offensive. Slim's plan involved the 33rd Corps taking over the Shenam Saddle and the Tamu–Palel Road while the 4th Corps cleared the Japanese from the Silchar Track and the Tiddim Road. On the other hand, Mutaguchi was still planning a combined attack on the Palel area involving the 15th Division, remnants of the 31st Division, and some units from the 33rd Division. Although he issued an attack order, the divisions were too battered to comply. The overall situation of the 15th Army went from bad to worse and the only hope remaining was to rally the 31st at Humine, give the troops a few days rest and then, after a reorganization, to dispatch them to the northern flank of the Yamamoto Detachment to capture Palel. In early July the 31st Division was concentrated in the area east of Myothit but discipline had disintegrated to the point that the Division could scarcely be termed a combat force. The Torikai Unit was organized with the 138th Infantry Regiment (less one battalion); the 2d Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment and one artillery battalion to reinforce the Yamamoto Detachment. At the same time,the 15th Army ordered the 33rd Division to attack Palel from the south with the 214th Infantry Regiment. The newly formed Torikai' Unit, however, failed to join the Yamamoto Detachment and the order for the 33rd to attack Palel was never carried out. Consequently, on July 9, General Kawabe had no choice but to order preparations for a withdrawal to a line connecting the Zibyu Mountains, Mawlaik, Kalewa, and Gangaw. Mutaguchi intended to begin the retreat on July 16, directing the 15th Division towards Sittaung, the 31st Division to Thaungdut, and the 33rd Division to Tiddim, while the Yamamoto Detachment would hold the Shenam Saddle until July 24 and then retreat to the Kuntaung-Moreh line to cover the main Army's withdrawal from the Kabaw Valley.   On the southwest front, General Tanaka's forces had already started retreating from the Bishenpur area, leaving a small covering force at Ningthoukhong to prevent a pursuit by the 17th Division. As a result, General Cowan's brigades made limited progress against the stubborn rearguard, ultimately securing Ningthoukhong on July 16 after heavy bombardment, coinciding with Mutaguchi's general withdrawal. By the middle of July, Japanese resistance centered on Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou. A small hamlet about 300 meters wide and 500 meters long, it lay to the immediate south of Ningthoukhong. Despite probing attacks by the 48th Indian Brigade's infantry and artillery firing on their defenses, the Japanese held on. Finally, in the early hours of 16 July, this small space was subjected to what some describe as one of the heaviest artillery concentrations yet in the Burma Campaign; in the space of an hour, approximately 9,000 shells were fired on Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou. Fortunately for the Japanese, they had withdrawn from the village just before the shelling began. By the time it ended, the village had been completely flattened and was pockmarked with waterlogged craters. And so the last Japanese stronghold in the Imphal Valley was taken. The 63rd Indian Brigade also reached and occupied the Laimanai area around the same time. The 5th Indian Division, the other division in the reconstituted IV Corps, now took over and commenced the chase of the Japanese 33rd Division down the road towards Tiddim.  The 5th Division, now led by Major-General Geoffrey Evans, continued the pursuit while Stopford's brigades harassed the disordered retreat of the 15th and 31st Divisions. Despite their efforts, the 15th and 31st Divisions reached Thaungdut by early August, and the 33rd Division managed to assemble around Chikha by mid-August, under significant pressure and the serious threat of having their withdrawal route cut off. The 33rd Division distinguished itself by displaying almost superhuman fighting power and repeatedly launched counterattacks against the pursuing British-Indian 5th Division. The Yamamoto Detachment, however, had failed to cover the Yazagyo area and, in mid-August the 33rd Division found itself the vicinity of Chikha facing the serious threat of having its route of withdrawal cut by the enemy which was infiltrating into the Yazagyo area from Moreh and Shuganu through the Kabaw Valley. On the south-eastern approach to Imphal, the two armies continued to face each other on the Shenam Saddle. Yamamoto Force remained in place on these heights and the front line was still on Scraggy. It was in the second half of July that a final, concerted effort was made to evict Yamamoto Force and push it down the Tamu–Palel Road towards the India–Burma frontier. Led by the 23rd Indian Division , the operation involved five brigades in a three-pronged attack. The central thrust was by the 37th Indian Brigade on the Shenam Saddle, with the support of all available artillery and tanks; the 5th British Brigade was deployed behind it and readied to provide assistance. D-day was to be 24 July. The 1st Indian Brigade was sent through the hills on the right, to arrive behind the saddle. The two were to push the Japanese back on the road. It was hoped their withdrawal route would be cut by the 49th Indian Brigade, which would arrive on the road after looping in from the far left; the 268th Indian Brigade would be to its left, protecting its flank.    Before the Japanese could retreat, the 49th Brigade had cut off General Yamamoto's withdrawal route by looping in from the far left. However, Mutaguchi had sent Colonel Sato Genpachi's reserve 61st Regiment to Tamu, which quickly counterattacked and reopened the route. Consequently, Yamamoto withdrew to Moreh, allowing Roberts to swiftly capture Nippon Hill and Scraggy. Within two days, the 23rd Division advanced down the road, forcing the Yamamoto Detachment to retreat toward Mawlaik on July 30. This marked the end of the Battle of Imphal and Operation U-Go, the Japanese Army's largest land defeat. Estimates vary, but about 30,000 Japanese soldiers died and 23,000 were injured during the operation, including 6,000 killed at Kohima and 16,000 at Imphal. Additionally, the INA lost about 2,000 dead and 2,000 wounded. On the other hand, the British-Indians suffered 16,000 casualties, with over 12,000 at Imphal. Though Mutaguchi's plan was initially effective and nearly succeeded in capturing Imphal, he underestimated the enemy's ability to resist his troops and quickly bring reinforcements. Slim's overall strategy for Imphal succeeded, as the Japanese overextended themselves from the Chindwin River to the Imphal Valley, just as he had predicted. A crucial factor in the British-Indian success was the air support, which kept the 14th Army supplied despite the road to Kohima being cut off. Ultimately, in an attempt to thwart a potential British-Indian advance into Burma, Mutaguchi's 15th Army was utterly decimated by the failed attempt to capture Imphal. This failure allowed Slim to seize the moment and launch a rapid offensive into Burma, countering the Japanese U-Go plan. The Allies thus gained the upper hand, marking the beginning of the end for Japanese control over Burma. As a final note for this week by late July, Admiral Somerville executed Operation Crimson, a coordinated naval and air assault on Japanese airfields in Sabang, Lhoknga, and Kutaraja. Departing Trincomalee on July 22, Somerville's Task Force 62, comprising two carriers and four battleships, arrived off Sabang on the morning of July 25, ready to commence the bombardment. On 5th July 1944 the carriers Victorious and Indomitable arrived in Colombo. The former sailed with Illustrious on 22 July for Operation ‘Crimson', a bombardment of Sabang by the battleships over which the carrier-borne aircraft were to provide cover and take photographs of the damage. Illustrious embarked the same aircraft as before with Victorious for a total of thirty-nine Corsairs; together they comprised 47 Naval Fighter Wing commanded by Lieutenant Commander Turnbull. The force assembled for the operation was designated TF 62 and the carriers were supported by Queen Elizabeth, Valiant, Renown, Richelieu, Nigeria, Kenya, Gambia, Ceylon, Cumberland, Phoebe, Tromp, Relentless, Rotherham, Racehorse, Raider, Roebuck, Rocket, Rapid, Quilliam, Quality and Quickmatch. The submarines Templar and Tantalus were deployed to ASR positions. The carriers operated only thirty-five miles north of Sabang, not far from the battleships, which approached their bombardment positions at 06:40. The initial launch was planned for thirty-three minutes before sunrise but this proved to be too early as the morning was exceptionally dark and the launch was delayed for five minutes. Even then it was too early and the form-up was clumsy and slow, delaying departure. The fighters were briefed to attack Sabang, Lho Nga and Kotaraja airfields but 1838 NAS made a bad landfall since maps lacked detail and no photographs were available. When the target airfields were found it was still too dark for accurate strafing but the enemy was alert and opened fire as soon as aircraft came within range. To aircrew accustomed to the excellent intelligence material by then available in the Home Fleet, this caused concern and it had to be accepted that it was difficult to obtain good targets without losing the element of surprise. At very low level on a dark morning, flying at 400 knots with flashes from antiaircraft gunfire all around, camouflaged aircraft in revetments were inconspicuous and the strafing runs were not a success. One Corsair was shot down but the pilot was rescued. Concurrently, the battleships targeted harbor facilities and military barracks at Sabang, while cruisers and destroyers shelled radar and wireless stations and engaged enemy shore batteries. After the main bombardment, the destroyers Tromp, Quality, Quickmatch, and Quilliam entered Sabang harbor, attacking Japanese positions and launching torpedoes, sustaining light damage from return fire. On the return journey, two enemy reconnaissance aircraft were intercepted and shot down by fighters. Additionally, ten Zeros attacked Somerville's convoy but were intercepted by 13 Corsairs, leading to two Zeros being shot down and another two damageFollowing this engagement, British pilots noted that the Japanese airmen were not as proficient as they had been in 1942.  Although Operation Crimson's outcomes were not spectacular, Somerville's final offensive was still deemed successful enough. Due to health concerns, he was subsequently transferred to diplomatic duties at Admiral Mountbatten's request. Currently, Admiral Mountbatten was moving toward a complete rearrangement of the higher officers in SEAC. From the time of his arrival in the Far East, he had had trouble with his three commanders in chief. When the Imphal crisis arose, Mountbatten was dissatisfied with General Giffard's conduct of operations, and when he later found Giffard taking what Mountbatten considered a highly negative approach toward an aggressive conduct of operations he resolved to ask for Giffard's relief. Mountbatten's relations with Admiral Somerville had been equally difficult. Somerville had refused to treat him as a Supreme Commander and in Mountbatten's opinion tried to make him simply the chairman of a commanders-in-chief committee. As for the RAF commander, Air Chief Marshal Peirse, Mountbatten was not seeking his relief because he did not wish to change all of his principal subordinates simultaneously. After his relief, Somerville was placed in charge of the British naval delegation in Washington DC in October 1944 where he managed—to the surprise of almost everyone—to get on very well with the notoriously abrasive and anti-British Admiral Ernest King, the United States' Chief of Naval Operations. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Battle of Noemfoor was just getting started, seeing General Douglas MacArthur not giving the Japanese a moment to catch their breath. Meanwhile the battle for Imphal was finally coming to a bitter end as Mutaguchi's megalomaniac operation was clearly a disaster.

The JTET 'dream team' of James Taylor and Jon Steele are back again to cover all of the latest action from J2! In Part 1, the boys discuss Sendai's pulsating victory over Tochigi (Start to 08:20), Shimizu's return to winning ways against Okayama (08:20 to 15:00), and Nagasaki's exciting 2-2 draw on the road at Tokushima (15:00 to 23:50). After that, Jon and James nominate their Most Bravo Players for Round 22 (23:50 to 29:30), and chat about recent transfer news plus Kofu's change of manager (29:30 to 37:00). Bringing up the rear, there's a preview of the upcoming Round 23 fixtures this weekend (37:00 to 41:00), and a look ahead to the Emperor's Cup 3rd Round next Wednesday night (41:00 to Finish). We hope everyone enjoys the show, and the weekend football!

James Taylor and Jon Steele begin this episode with a very quick look back at the Emperor's Cup 2nd round games involving J2 teams (to 07:40). Then they move onto league action and discuss Akita v Shimizu (to 15:45) and Yamaguchi v Iwaki (to 26:55), pick their Most Bravo Players (to 34:10), and look ahead to the weekend's fixtures (to end).   *To get some pass notes on any of the games that we don't discuss on the pod, feel free to join our dedicated JTET/JTSC Discord server here: https://discord.gg/pngqMZ7hwD

There were big results at both ends of J2 last weekend, so James Taylor and Jon Steele had plenty of talking points to get their teeth into. They start by discussing Ehime's shock win over Shimizu (to 09:30) and Sendai's dramatic draw with Nagasaki (to 17:30), then cover important wins for Tochigi over Oita (to 24:20) and Kagoshima over Yamagata (to 34:30). That's followed by Most Bravo Player (to 39:00) and a preview of the next set of fixtures (to 47:10).   After that it's J-Talk: Short Corner – Mike Innes rounds up all the J3 teams who played in the Emperor's Cup round 2 last Wednesday (to 56:55) and then reviews another fascinating round of league fixtures, before finishing with a look at the table and the coming weekend's games (to end).   *To get some pass notes on any of the games that we don't discuss on the pod, feel free to join our dedicated JTET/JTSC Discord server here: https://discord.gg/pngqMZ7hwD

Jon Steele and James Taylor reconvened after a couple of weeks apart for a review of J2 round 18. First, James and Jon discussed the dramatic/farcical end to Mito v Nagasaki and the exciting game that came before it (start to 14:50), an impressive win for Yamauchi over league leaders Shimizu (to 20:40), and a big game at the bottom between Tochigi and Kumamoto (to 29:15). That's followed by Most Bravo Player (to 34:25), and a preview of a busy week for J2 teams in Levain Cup, league and Emperor's Cup action (to end).   *To get some pass notes on any of the games that we don't discuss on the pod, feel free to join our dedicated JTET/JTSC Discord server here: https://discord.gg/pngqMZ7hwD

James Taylor, Jon Steele and Mike Innes joined forces for another full and frank review of all the latest J2 and J3 football. First, James and Jon discussed Okayama v Shimizu (start to 07:20), Akita v Yokohama FC (to 17:35), Mito v Fujieda (to 24:55), and Tokushima v Yamagata (to 34:20). Then, they chose their Most Bravo Players of the weekend (to 37:50), and previewed a busy weekend of Golden Week football (to 47:05). After that, Mike Innes takes over for a run through of the Levain Cup games involving J3 teams (to 53:55) and a roundup of the matchday 11 league fixtures (to 1:10:50), before ending with a preview of the holiday weekend's fixtures (to end).   *To get some pass notes on any of the games that we don't discuss on the pod, feel free to join our dedicated JTET/JTSC Discord server here: https://discord.gg/pngqMZ7hwD

James Taylor and Jon Steele cast their analytical gaze over another round of J2 football. In this episode, they focus on 4 games from matchday 10: Iwaki v Shimizu (start to 08:35), Nagasaki v Tokushima (to 20:15), Kumamoto v Kofu (to 26:50) and Yamaguchi v Gunma (to 34:40) and crown their Most Bravo Player (to 39:55). Then there's a preview of the round 11 fixtures (to 46:40) and the second set of Levain Cup Second Round games (to end). *To get some pass notes on any of the games that we don't discuss on the pod, feel free to join our dedicated JTET/JTSC Discord server here: https://discord.gg/pngqMZ7hwD

After a rather hectic 7 days of fixtures in J2 and J3, the JTET team are back to round up all of the key points (and some minor ones) from the most recent games. First of all, James and Jon look back on some of the eye-catching games from last Wednesday in J2 (Round 5), chatting about Shimizu's late breakthrough at JEF Chiba (Start to 07:50), and early leaders Okayama's fairly comfortable home win over Gunma (07:50 to 13:40). After a quick break, the boys do similar for Sunday's Round 6 slate, focusing on Yokohama FC's victory at nine-man Kagoshima in pouring rain (13:40 to 23:45), and Tochigi's smash-and-grab home success against Oita (23:45 to 30:00). James and Jon then reveal their Most Bravo Players of the week, taking into account both rounds of action (30:00 to 35:30), and talk about some of the interesting transfer news of the week (35:30 to 42:20). The sad, tired, middle-aged men had just enough left in the tank to preview the upcoming Round 7 fixtures before slumping into a fitful, Pedro Manzi-haunted sleep (42:20 to 49:00). With J2 fully covered, Mike 'The Magic' Innes takes over for 'J-Talk: Short Corner' (49:00 to Finish), with all of the key Round 5 and Round 6 action from J3 forensically analyzed. Thanks for all the support for the pod, and we hope you enjoy the episode!

On this episode of The Showrunner Whisperer (produced by Multiverse of Color,) we welcome KETO SHIMIZU as our first guest as our Andy chats with her about how she joined the world of Hollywood as a screenwriter and explores her personal journey in becoming a showrunner for the first time. Before landing the role as the co-showrunner for DC's Legends of Tomorrow, we explore Keto's origin story of how she first got into Hollywood and what she learned from her first TV/movie gigs before transitioning into the role as showrunner for the first time. Keto also shares about dealing with Legends of Tomorrow not being picked up for another season during a network shake-up, the power of the fandom, potential season 8 arcs, and what is next for her. DISCLAIMER: If there's any information by our guests you want to share through your platforms, publications, or channels, we would kindly ask you to please link back to the original episode you are quoting from and source The Showrunner Whisperer (via Multiverse of Color.) Through social media, tag us @ShowrunnerTalk & @MultiverseColor on Twitter/X, @ShowrunnerWhisperer & @TheMultiverseOfColor on Instagram/Threads, @ShowrunnerWhisperer & @MultiverseOfColor on Facebook, or @ShowrunnerWhisperer & @MultiverseOfColor on TikTok. We thank you in advance for supporting, crediting, and tuning in to The Showrunner Whisperer! Visit & Contact: Website | ShowrunnerWhisperer@gmail.com | @AndyBehbakht Social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube  Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Amazon Music | Deezer | Gaana | Podcast Index | Castbox | Podcast Addict | Radio Public | YouTube Podcast | Audible | Podbean | Multiverse of Color's Podcasts | 

On this episode of The Showrunner Whisperer (produced by Multiverse of Color,) we welcome KETO SHIMIZU as our first guest as our Andy chats with her about how she joined the world of Hollywood as a screenwriter and explores her personal journey in becoming a showrunner for the first time. Before landing the role as the co-showrunner for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, we explore Keto’s origin story of how she first got into Hollywood and what she learned from her first […] The post The Showrunner Whisperer Episode 01: KETO SHIMIZU (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) Interview appeared first on Multiverse Of Color.

EPIC EPISODE! This week, we bring back Scott Manson and Joey Shimizu from Tady Lures to talk all about the brand new book "A History of Tady Lures", exclusively available at the upcoming PCS Show in March. Make sure to grab your copy there! Join CCA at: www.JoinCCA.org Visit us at: www.CCACalifornia.org

This Japanese remake of the 1997 Canadian thriller depicts several strangers awakening in a prison of cubic cells, some of them booby-trapped, not knowing how they got there or why. The prisoners must use their combined skills if they are to escape alive.

Living on the beautiful island of Oahu, Kaylee was born and raised in Ewabeach. The oldest of four, Kaylee's younger sisters look up to her for her musical and athletic abilities. Kaylee wrestled for her varsity team this past year and won several matches, including a tournament. Kaylee also has a softer side, and that's where she loves to incorporate music. She's performed for charity events, competitions and all-over social media. Known for her whistle notes, one of Kaylee's Instagram videos went viral of her singing a Mariah Carey song. As a recent high school grad, Kaylee wants to pursue music full-time and share her talent with the world. Motivated by not only her parents and siblings, Kaylee had a lot of support from her great-grandfather before he passed away. She knows he's looking down on her and hopes to make him proud.

Happy New Year HBs!!!!!!!!!! Mel and Sabrina are ushering in 2024 by recapping Grand Theft NYE by Katrina Jackson! It's horny in here! AND THERE'S A HEIST! Y'all know how much Mel loves a caper. Cleo is here to make an entrance and then a hasty exit... with Mr. Shimizu's heart. Bonus Content: 2nd grade humor, Jessica Hare, getting jokes live on the podcast, Ana Huang's Twisted series, a high speed finger bang, honey badgers, the brand new taste sensation "Squelchers," and so much more!BIG REMINDER TO SEND IN YOUR READING EMBRACE!Lady Loves: Sabrina - Being in charge of her own finances so that sometimes she can buy a 40 pack of Gushers. Mel - Generic Candy Cane Oreos! They've got chunks of candy canes in the filling and it's SO SATISFYING. Get 'em at your local Aldi! The brand name is Benton's.Make sure to check out Mel's new podcast Bonkers Romance! Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell all your friends :)Get more content on PATREON!!Sign up for our Newsletter! MERCH! Teepublic, Chicaloo Kate, RedbubbleInstagram: @heavingbosomsTwitter: @heaving_bosoms

The JTET crew are back with another episode, keeping you up to date with all things J2 and J3! To start things off this week, Jon Steele and James Taylor cover all of the J2 action from a dramatic final day of the regular season. Jon reviews the battle for second place and some of the 'dead rubber' fixtures (Start to 09:50), while James casts his forensic eye over the tussle for the last available Play-Off place, and the rest of the second-tier games (09:50 to 15:50). After that, you'll hear Jon and James in conversation, sharing their views on how the season climax unfolded. The boys start with Mito v Shimizu (15:55 to 22:40), then discuss Tochigi v Iwata (22:40 to 28:15) and Omiya v Tokyo Verdy (28:15 to 35:30). There was also time for Jon and James to chat about JEF Chiba v Nagasaki (35:30 to 42:00), and Yamagata v Kofu (42:00 to 49:50). After that, the boys (basically men at this point) look ahead to the Play-Off games coming up in a week's time (49:50 to 53:00). Rounding things off in perfect style is Mike 'The Magic' Innes, who has all of the J3 latest for you (as ever) in 'J-Talk: Short Corner' (53:00 to Finish). Thanks for all the support so far in 2023 - enjoy the show!

The Gate of Destiny is in Dragongate's rear view and OTVG is back to review the company's biggest Osaka show of the year! Case and Mike give their thoughts on Kikuta vs Shimizu for the Dream Gate, D'Courage vs M3K, Yoshiki Kato and Ryoya Tanaka and more!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.The title card of Gate of Destiny is now clear for Dragongate and Open The Voice Gate is back to talk all about it. Has a somewhat surprising result in Kobe (10/14-15) waivered Kikuta vs Shimizu? The Brave Gate has been defended and who is walking into Osaka as champ and who is he facing? What's the deal with Don Fujii stealing belts again? All that and a discussion on all-time great Triangle Gate teams this week!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's finally October in Dragongate and Open The Voice Gate is back! Case and Mike lead off the show discussing the unfortunate injury bug that's hit the promotion. From there, they discuss a fun Kobe (9/30) show that closed out the month, Mike has an impromptu performance review for one Ryo Saito, they discuss the now finalized Kikuta vs Shimizu match, and talk Buyuden and 25th Anniversary Memorial Matches and the legacies of the participants!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Illustrator Yuko Shimizu was born in Tokyo, Japan and began drawing from an early age. As a preteen, her family moved from Japan to the US, a huge culture shock that included learning an entirely new language and navigating social norms in 7th grade. This experience gave her an even deeper love for drawing - something that transcends any language barrier. After college, Yuko spent 11 years at a prestigious corporate PR firm in Japan before she decided to pursue her lifelong dream. At 34, she enrolled in art school in New York City. Since then, she's received numerous accolades for her beautiful illustrations. A staunch supporter of going after what you want, Yuko certainly doesn't regret any choices she's made to draw a new path forward for herself. Images, links and more from Yuko Shimizu on cleverpodcast.com!Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted and produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.As September ends up being one of Dragongate's quieter months in recent memory, Open The Voice Gate returns to talk all about the Dragon System. Mike and Case attempt to make sense of the lack of programs in the promotion as they discuss the highlights and lowlights of a fun Kyoto (9/16) stop including T.N. Revolucion's second week back, Big Boss Shimizu vs Strong Machine J, the Triangle Gate Tournament, and Stock Ups and Stock Downs, and some lessons Dragongate could learn from CMLL's 90th Aniversario!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy