This week, we’re taking a deep dive into a distinctly Japanese literary genre (zuihitsu, or ‘wandering brush’) by looking at…
China’s last emperor ended up becoming one of history’s strangest political pawns, and ended his life as an avowed communist. How did a man born into unimaginable wealth end up penning a memoir about the evils of the landlord class? And was his disavowal of his privileged upbringing genuine, or was he the victim of a justice system that perfected the art of brainwashing prisoners?
This week, we’re talking about one of the most famous stories in Japanese history: the bamboo princess Naotake no Kaguyahime…
This week, we’re talking about one of Japan’s territorial disputes: the bitter debate over ownership of the Senaku Islands/Diaoyu Islands/Pinnacle…
This week, we cover Sorge’s career in Tokyo, and explore just how he was able to convince so many people…
This week, we begin our exploration of the life and career of Richard Sorge, one of the most famous spies…
This week, we explore a hapless revolutionary group’s failed attempts to start the Communist revolution with pachinko ball bombs, a one-way flight to North Korea, and random attacks on civilians. Why did a group of Japanese students end up deciding that the best way to kick-start the revolution was getting involved in a war in the middle east? And how does an idealistic young student end up believing that mass murder is morally justified?
This week, we outline what Abe’s vision to “restore beautiful Japan” meant during his second go-round in office, why he…
This week: how did Abe Shinzo get back into the PM’s office, why did he not fall flat on his…
This week, we chronicle Abe Shinzo’s meteoric rise up the ranks of the LDP and the Koizumi cabinet, culminating in…