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Author: Isaac Meyer

Episode 582 – The Men of Chivalry, Part 2

June 13, 2025 Isaac Meyer 1 Comment

This week: we take a look at postwar samurai film/jidaigeki in order to understand better the trajectory of the most…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: cinema, Film, History, Japan, Postwar, Samurai

Episode 581 – The Men of Chivalry, Part 1

June 6, 2025 Isaac Meyer Leave a comment

This week, we’re starting a history of the most famous genre in the history of Japanese film: the jidaigeki, and…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Film, History, Japan, prewar

Episode 580 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 7

May 30, 2025 Isaac Meyer

This week: we wrap up the miniseries with the end of Akebono’s career, as the first gaijin yokozuna takes his…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Postwar, sports, Sumo

Episode 579 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 6

May 23, 2025 Isaac Meyer

This week: Akebono becomes a yokozuna, and finds himself burdened with new expectations on and off the dohyo. Plus, a…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Postwar, sports, Sumo

Episode 578 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 5

May 16, 2025 Isaac Meyer

This week: in the span of just a few years, Akebono goes from a rookie in sumo to one of…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Postwar, sports, Sumo

Episode 577 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 4

May 9, 2025 Isaac Meyer

This week: Chad Rowan, who will be the first non-Japanese yokozuna in history, is the subject for the rest of…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Postwar, sports, Sumo

Episode 576 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 3

May 2, 2025 Isaac Meyer

This week: after Taiho, the floodgates open as more non-Japanese rikishi begin to enter the sport. One of them, Takamiyama,…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Postwar, sports, Sumo

Episode 575 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 2

April 25, 2025 Isaac Meyer

This week: Taiho begins his grand sumo career, and quickly proves to be one of the best ever to do…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts

Episode 574 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 1

April 18, 2025 Isaac Meyer

This week, we’re beginning a new miniseries on the legends of Japan’s most ancient sport: sumo. What can we learn…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Postwar, sports, Sumo

Episode 573 – The Revolutionary, Part 8

April 11, 2025 Isaac Meyer

For our final episode of this miniseries: Miyazaki Manabu faces down with the National Police Agency as he finds himself…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: 1980s, crime, History, Japan, Politics, Postwar

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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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Support the Facing Backward network on Patreon to get access to our bonus features, including our bonus episodes about historical fiction.

The History of Japan Patreon is still live, and subscribers will be able to get the weekly newsletter there as well.

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Recent Posts

  • Episode 582 – The Men of Chivalry, Part 2
  • Episode 581 – The Men of Chivalry, Part 1
  • Episode 580 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 7
  • Episode 579 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 6
  • Episode 578 – The Kings of the Ring, Part 5
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