Episode 2 – A Kingdom Called Wa – Facing Backward Podcasts

Episode 2 is up and available for download. This week’s episode covers the period from prehistory to 538 AD. Don’t forget to check the glossary and timeline if you would like clarification or more information, or drop me a line in the comments.

Have a listen here

Sources

Totman, Conrad. A History of Japan. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

National Geographic: Japanese Royal Tomb Opened to Scholars for First Time:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080428-ancient-tomb.html

Images (courtesy of the Wikimedia Foundation)

This piece dates from around 10,000 years ago, and is an early example of Jomon pottery. Note the rope-like markings around the vessel.

This pottery piece dates from the mid-Jomon period (about 6000 years ago).

Seal of Na — The golden seal given by the Han dynasty emperor Gwangwu to the King of Na, a territory in Japan. The first written record we have which mentions Japan describes this event.

This is the Daisen Kofun, the largest kofun in Japan. It is located in the port city of Sakai in modern Osaka prefecture.

3 thoughts on “Episode 2 – A Kingdom Called Wa”

I read recently a bit about the golden seal and a bit of history of where hanko stamps originated from. Wasn’t this area close to northern kyushu or am I thinking of something else?

Hi,

Thanks very much for putting up this podcast. I’m apparently a late comer out of my random surfing of the Net.

As this topic involves a good deal of proper names in East Asian languages we are not familiar, would it be possible to post a transcript of the session. Inclusion of the names in their original characters/writings should be greatly helpful.

Thanks again!

The golden seal was found by farmers on the island of Shikanoshima, across Hakata Bay from the current city of Fukuoka. There is a marker on the island where it was found and the seal is at a museum in Fukuoka.

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