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Tag: History

Episode 512 – The New Buddhisms

December 15, 2023 Isaac Meyer

This week: the advent of the medieval era brings with it new strands of Buddhism that will radically remake the…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Buddhism, History, Japan, Kamakura, medieval, Nichiren, Pure Land Buddhism, religion, Zen

Episode 511 – Tipping the Balance

December 8, 2023 Isaac Meyer

This week: the rise of the Minamoto clan, the destruction of the Taira clan, and the birth of a new…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Kamakura, Minamoto, Samurai, Taira

Episode 510 – The Rise of the Warriors

December 1, 2023 Isaac Meyer

This week, we’re covering the beginnings of the rise of the samurai class by looking at the wars of the…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Heian, History, Japan, Samurai

Episode 509 – The Golden Age of Heian

November 17, 2023 Isaac Meyer

This week, we turn our attention to two of the defining institutions of the Heian period, both of which will…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: classical, Heian, History, Japan, Samurai, shoen

Episode 508 – The Culture of Classical Japan, Part 2

November 10, 2023 Isaac Meyer

This week on the podcast, we’re all about literature. We’ll be exploring the varieties of poetry and prose that have…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Heian, History, Japan, literature, poetry, prose

Episode 507 – The Culture of Classical Japan, Part 1

November 3, 2023 Isaac Meyer 2 Comments

This week, we take a step away from politics to talk about two crucial subjects. First, we have the evolution…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Ado, Buddhism, Heian, History, Japan, Japanese, Nara

Episode 506 – The Peaceful City

October 27, 2023 Isaac Meyer

This week in the Revised History of Japan: in a bid to strengthen the power of the imperial family, Emperor…

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

Episode 504 – The Great Change

October 13, 2023 Isaac Meyer

Part four of our Revised Introduction to Japanese History is all about the Taika Reforms of 645 CE: what drove…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: Asuka period, History, Japan, Taika

Episode 503 – It Takes a Genius to Write It

October 6, 2023 Isaac Meyer

Part 3 of our Revised Introduction to Japanese History: the emergence of recorded history in Japan brings with it some…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Kofun, Kojiki, Nihonshoki, Yamato

Episode 502 – The Age of Myth and Legend

September 29, 2023 Isaac Meyer

For part 2 of our Revised Introduction to Japanese History: what do we know about the origins of Japan’s imperial…

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Posted in: History of Japan Podcast, Podcasts Filed under: History, Japan, Kofun, Kojiki, Nihonshoki, Yamato

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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.

Support the Show

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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