How did one man’s determination to get paid end up producing one of the best records we have of a pivotal moment in Japanese history?
A long-requested dive into the ronin police force known as the Shinsengumi. Who were the members of this group, and how, despite their rather marginal role in the history of the 1860s, have they become one of the most famous organizations in Japanese history?
The Jokyu Rebellion is one of the more minor conflicts in Japanese history; yet it also represents a tipping of…
This week, we’re wrapping up our look at Sakamoto Ryoma’s life and legacy to see how he was transformed from…
This week, we’re taking some material from the cutting room floor of last series to talk about the stories of…
For our final episode of 2021, we’re looking at the origin of one of Japan’s most famous pieces of literature:…
This week, we’re taking a quick detour into Isaac trolling fans of Michel Foucault-er, the Edo period criminal justice system.…
This week: Isaac spends 30 minutes unpacking the 400+ page ramblings of a cranky retiree who died about 200 years…
This week, we’re talking about one of the last attempts to save the Tokugawa shogunate: the Tenpo Reforms of the…
This week, we’re wrapping up our month on piracy by looking at how the image of “Japanese pirates” became so…