History of Japan

Latest Episodes:

Episode 545 - The Extreme Right in Postwar Japan, Part 1 Sep 13, 2024

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This week's footnote: the first of two parts on the postwar extreme right. This week, we're mostly focusing on the extreme right in the first few decades of the Cold War, and in particular on the story of Akao Bin and his Aikokuto. How did a convicted socialist end up as one of Japan's foremost violent anticommunists--and how did his ideas shape a new reality for the postwar right?

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Episode 544 - A Day in the Life of Meiji Japan, Part 2 Sep 06, 2024

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This week, we're continuing last week's footnote on daily life in Meiji Japan. Topics covered this week include life as a conscript in the army, changes to Japanese cuisine during the Meiji years, and entertainment from kabuki to early movies.

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Episode 543 - A Day in the Life of Meiji Japan, Part 1 Aug 30, 2024

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This week on the Revised Introduction to Japanese History Footnotes: what was it like to live in the Meiji Era? Join us on a journey through a day in 1900, as we discuss breakfast foods, education, and factory jobs in the "new Japan."

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Episode 542 - The Heart of Darkness Aug 16, 2024

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For our second footnote to the Revised Introduction to Japanese History: a simple question that definitely won't result in an overpacked episode. Was Imperial Japan a fascist state? How can we even define fascism in a productive way that lets us engage in historical comparison? How quickly can I summarize four different definitions of what fascism is? Should be easy enough.

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Episode 541 - The Way of the Gods Aug 09, 2024

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This week, we have our first Footnote to the Revised Introduction to Japanese history, expanding on questions we didn't get to touch on during the main series. This week, our question is: what do we know about the origins and practice of early Japanese religion, and how does it relate to what we call Shinto today?

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Episode 540 - The End of the Beginning Aug 02, 2024

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On the final episode of the Revised Introduction to Japanese History: the LDP completely fails to meet the challenge of the bubble collapse, and the Lost Decades see Japan's economy stagnate and its political and social system under severe pressure. Where to from here? Only time will tell.

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Episode 539 - Japan Falling Jul 26, 2024

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In the penultimate episode of the Revised Introduction to Japanese History: the 1980s sees the rise of Japan's asset bubble and the peak of the high-rollin' postwar. But the new prosperity is built on faulty ground that is already beginning to creak...

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Episode 538 - Japan Rising Jul 19, 2024

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This week on the Revised Introduction to Japanese History: how did Ikeda Hayato and the LDP build a system that would redefine postwar Japan? And how did the political opposition utterly fail to rise to the challenge of matching them?

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Episode 537 - The New Order Jul 12, 2024

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This week on the Revised Introduction to Japanese History: the Occupation comes to an end, but what happens next? This week is all about the 1950s, when clashing visions of Japan's future would culminate in one of the largest protests in the nation's history, laying the groundwork for the political world that has existed ever since.

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Episode 536 - Revolution from Above Jul 05, 2024

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This week on the Revised Introduction to Japanese History: The US Occupation of Japan after World War II represented a truly massive undertaking. American military and civilian personnel spent just over a decade rebuilding Japan's government, economy, and society from the ground up. What did that look like in practice, and how does the legacy of the Occupation era remain with Japan today?

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