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Historian, teacher, podcaster
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Tag: Buddhism

Episode 369 – The Wandering Brush

December 18, 2020 ijmeyer 1 Comment

This week, we’re taking a deep dive into a distinctly Japanese literary genre (zuihitsu, or ‘wandering brush’) by looking at…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, History, hojoki, Japan, Kyoto, literature, Tsurezuregusa

Episode 360 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 4

October 16, 2020 ijmeyer Leave a comment

This week, we wrap up our look at Soka Gakkai with the history of its split from Nichiren Shoshu. Plus,…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, religion, soka

Episode 359 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 3

October 9, 2020 ijmeyer 1 Comment

This week, we’re talking about some of the major projects of Ikeda’s time as leader of Soka Gakkai, including both…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, religion, soka

Episode 358 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 2

October 2, 2020 ijmeyer 1 Comment

This week, we continue our look at the history of Soka Gakkai during the tenure of Toda Josei. We’ll also…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, Occupation, religion, soka

Episode 357 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 1

September 25, 2020 ijmeyer 1 Comment

This week, we’re starting a multi-episode series on one of Japan’s most famous organizations: the study society-turned-religion-turned-political-party known as the…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, religion, soka

Episode 220 – The All Seeing Eye

December 2, 2017 ijmeyer Leave a comment

This week, we investigate the great Zen master Dogen, who was something of an eccentric in his own time but…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, Dogen, History, Japan, Soto, Zen

Episode 203 – The Old Man and the Sea

July 29, 2017 ijmeyer Leave a comment

This week: one of Japan’s most famous Buddhist masters, Kukai, takes center stage! Listen to the episode here. Sources Winfield,…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Uncategorized Filed under: Buddhism, Kukai, Shingon

Episode 182 – Building Better Worlds

February 18, 2017 ijmeyer Leave a comment

This week, we’re doing a biography of the little known Buddhist socialist Seno’o Giro. How do you reconcile Buddhism and…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Uncategorized Filed under: Buddhism, Japan, Socialism

Episode 154 – Zen at War

June 25, 2016 ijmeyer Leave a comment

This week: what happens when Buddhists go to war? We’ll explore the relationship between the Japanese Empire and the Zen…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Uncategorized Filed under: Buddhism, Zen

Episode 52 – Nichiren

May 10, 2014 ijmeyer Leave a comment

This week, we’re going to be talking about one of Japan’s most famous religious movements: Nichiren Buddhism, devoted to the…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Uncategorized Filed under: Buddhism, Lotus Sutra, Nichiren

About Me

My name is Isaac Meyer, and I’m a  former PhD student at the University of Washington, specializing in modern Japan (with sub-specializations in modern China, modern Europe, and international relations). Today, I work as a teacher at an independent school in the Seattle area.

I also have a tendency to go off on random historical tangents. One day, I decided to combine these two traits in podcast form, and thus was born the History of Japan Podcast!

In 2018, I decided start the Criminal Records Podcast with my wife, Demetria Spinrad. This podcast gives me the chance to talk about world history–and the weird, wonderful world of historical crime and punishment.

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Recent Posts

  • Episode 374 – The First Frontier, Part 4
  • Willem Arondeus (re-record)
  • Episode 373 – The First Frontier, Part 3
  • Episode 372 – The First Frontier, Part 2
  • Jiang Qing and the Gang of Four
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