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Tag: Buddhism

Episode 457 – The Purple Robe Incident

October 14, 2022 Isaac Meyer

This week: political infighting about purple robes and what it can tell us about Buddhism, political power, and the relationship…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, Edo, History, Japan, Tokugawa, Zen

Episode 437 – The Fist of the Buddhas, Part 2

May 13, 2022 Isaac Meyer

This week: where does our stock image of the sohei come from, and why does it tell us more about…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, Edo, History, Japan

Episode 436 – Fist of the Buddhas, Part 1

May 6, 2022 Isaac Meyer

This week: what does the historical record have to say about the veracity of the image of the warrior-monk, or…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, Heian, History, Japan, Kyoto, medieval

Episode 418 – The Bucket and the Moon

December 17, 2021 Isaac Meyer 3 Comments

This week, we have a biography of one of the rare women of medieval Japan who was prominent not just…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, History, Japan, medieval, Women, Zen

Episode 369 – The Wandering Brush

December 18, 2020 Isaac Meyer 1 Comment

This week, we’re taking a deep dive into a distinctly Japanese literary genre (zuihitsu, or ‘wandering brush’) by looking at…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, History, hojoki, Japan, Kyoto, literature, Tsurezuregusa

Episode 360 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 4

October 16, 2020 Isaac Meyer 1 Comment

This week, we wrap up our look at Soka Gakkai with the history of its split from Nichiren Shoshu. Plus,…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, religion, soka

Episode 359 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 3

October 9, 2020 Isaac Meyer 1 Comment

This week, we’re talking about some of the major projects of Ikeda’s time as leader of Soka Gakkai, including both…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, religion, soka

Episode 358 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 2

October 2, 2020 Isaac Meyer 1 Comment

This week, we continue our look at the history of Soka Gakkai during the tenure of Toda Josei. We’ll also…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, Occupation, religion, soka

Episode 357 – A Nation in a Nation, Part 1

September 25, 2020 Isaac Meyer 2 Comments

This week, we’re starting a multi-episode series on one of Japan’s most famous organizations: the study society-turned-religion-turned-political-party known as the…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, gakkai, History, Japan, Nichiren, religion, soka

Episode 220 – The All Seeing Eye

December 2, 2017 Isaac Meyer

This week, we investigate the great Zen master Dogen, who was something of an eccentric in his own time but…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, Dogen, History, Japan, Soto, Zen

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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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