Episode 435 – The Wrong Kind of Hero, Part 3

April 22, 2022 3 Comments

This week, we’re wrapping up our look at Sakamoto Ryoma’s life and legacy to see how he was transformed from loyalist ronin to posthumous legend. Plus, some quick thoughts on his legacy and enduring popularity.

Programming note: no new episode next week!

Sources

Jansen, Marius. Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration

Beasley, WG. The Meiji Restoration

Beasley, WG. “The Foreign Threat and the Opening of the Ports” and Marius Jansen, “The Meiji Restoration” in The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol 5: The Nineteenth Century.

The Teradaya Inn in Fushimi, Kyoto Prefecture.
Samurai in the Kaientai; Sakamoto is third from left. Fun fact: there was also a pro wrestling group called the Kaientai in the 1990s apparently, and let me tell you that made trying to find images a real treat.
A relatively recently unearthed photo of Sakamoto.
A statue of Sakamoto in Kouchi, Kouchi Prefecture.

3 thoughts on “Episode 435 – The Wrong Kind of Hero, Part 3”

  1. The episode can’t be downloaded or listen to on Libsyn. Can you please fix the problem.

    1. Looks like an error on Libsyn’s end. Should be fixed, and everything should update in a few minutes. Thanks for the heads up.

  2. Okay, I can’t wait to find out why no one interviewed Sakamoto’s relatives for a biography following his death… I know from the first TV episode of Ryoma ga yuku that he was forgotten after his death, but I never finished that show and I can’t wait to find out why

Comments are closed.