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.
Isaac,
I’m binge listening and may have the wrong episode, but you cite a couple of times that MacArthur lived in a ‘suite in the US Embassy’.
He did not live in the Embassy, which was simply an office building, but in the adjacent residence of the US Ambassador. It is still there, a magnificent old building, across the street from the Okura Hotel. Here’s a map link: https://goo.gl/maps/dgZxbfuwAXz
The residence is next to the rectangular blue pool – the Embassy is the larger building to the north. If you Google ‘US Embassy Residence’ you can find the actual room where MacArthur received the Emperor. It is still used today for receptions and such.
The old Embassy Chancellery of the day, which was two small, low buildings, was razed and replaced with the current brown monstrosity, a much taller, single building.
Great podcast, thank you and congratulations.
Lance Gatling
Tokyo