Samurai Archives Japanese History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP48 The MIS in the Pacific Theater During WWII Aug 01, 2012

Show notes

In this episode we move forward in time to World War Two and talk about the documentary screening we attended, MIS - Human Secret Weapon. MIS is a documentary about the US Military Intelligence Service, a top-secret program created by the US government to prepare for war with Japan, comprised of Japanese Americans who acted as translators, interrogators, spies, soldiers, and negotiators in the war against Japan during WWII. Their contribution to the war effort is immeasurable, and were credited by General MacArthur with shortening the war by two years.

Mentioned in this podcast:

The MIS documentary website: http://mis-film.com/

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Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

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Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP47 History of the Samurai Archives Website Jul 15, 2012

Show notes

In this episode, the creators of the Samurai Archives Japanese History Page (Samurai-archives.com) talk about the creation of the history website. They talk about why they did it, what they hoped to accomplish, what their expectations were with the website, why the poor design of the old Delphi forum was actually a good thing, and why Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia has utterly destroyed independent scholarship on the internet for all time.

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Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

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Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

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Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP46 Bathing in Medieval Japan Jul 02, 2012

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about the article “Washing off the Dust”: Baths and Bathing in Late Medieval Japan, by Lee Butler. The discussion looks into the cultural and religious aspects of bathing in medieval Japan, as well as the contemporary bath houses and hot springs of modern Japan.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Butler, Lee. "Washing off the Dust": Baths and Bathing in Late Medieval Japan Monumenta Nipponica Vol. 60, No. 1 (Spring, 2005), pp. 1-41 http://www.jstor.org/stable/25066349

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

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Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

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Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP45 Japanese State and Identity During the Edo Period Jun 16, 2012

Show notes

In this episode we discuss the structure of the Tokugawa government during the Edo period. We examine if Japan was a unified nation-state, a confederacy, or a feudal system, and how much control Daimyo actually had over their own lands. We also look at how individuals may have identified with their region and Japan as a "country".

Mentioned in this podcast:

Ravina, Mark. Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan Stanford University Press; 1 edition (August 1, 1999) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804728984

Screech, Timon. Shogun's Painted Culture: Fear and Creativity in the Japanese States, 1760-1829 Reaktion Books (September 1, 2000) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1861890648

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives

Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984

Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP44 Samurai Armor - An Interview With Trevor Absolon Part 2 Jun 02, 2012

Show notes

In part 2 of our interview with Trevor Absolon we continue our discussion on Samurai armor. Trevor talks about the different approaches to collecting Samurai armor, advice for potential collectors, as well as comments on such things as Kawari Kabuto and armor with “battle damage”, and a whole lot more.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Toraba Japanese Samurai Armours: http://www.toraba.com

Toraba Bookstore: http://www.toraba.com/samurai-armour-books.asp

Sengoku Daimyo, Anthony J. Bryant's website: http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/

Bryant, Anthony J. Sekigahara 1600: The Final Struggle for Power Osprey Publishing (September 11, 1995) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1855323958

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives

Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984

Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP43 Samurai Armor - An Interview With Trevor Absolon Part 1 May 16, 2012

Show notes

In today's podcast, we talk with Trevor Absolon, Japanese armor expert and dealer, author, documentary producer, and owner of Japanese armor website Toraba.com. Trevor talks about how he got into the armor business as well as what we should know about Japanese armor, some of the mythology surrounding Japanese Samurai armor, and advice for anyone interested in starting their own armor collection. Join us for this inside look into the world of Japanese armor. This episode is part one of two.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Toraba Japanese Samurai Armours: http://www.toraba.com

Toraba Bookstore: http://www.toraba.com/samurai-armour-books.asp

Sengoku Daimyo, Anthony J. Bryant's website: http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/

Bryant, Anthony J. Sekigahara 1600: The Final Struggle for Power Osprey Publishing (September 11, 1995) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1855323958

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives

Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984

Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP42 The Smithsonian Edo Period Book Digitization Project Apr 28, 2012

Show notes

In this episode, Travis discusses his experience as an intern at the Smithsonian Institute's Freer/Sackler Galleries in the Edo period book digitization program over the summer of 2011. He talks about the digitization process, as well as about the books and their binding and production, as well as why Japan never really got into using movable type in the printing process. He also reveals a little about what it's like in the Smithsonian's top-secret underground storage facilities. But not too much.

The Digitization Project description page: http://www.asia.si.edu/research/curatorial/pulvererInterns.asp

The Freer/Sackler Gallery Website: http://www.asia.si.edu/

Ikegami, Eiko. Bonds of Civility Cambridge University Press (February 28, 2005) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0521601150

Screech, Timon. Sex and the Floating World Reaktion Books; Second Edition edition (November 15, 2009) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1861894325

Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions of Japan Website: http://www.bowdoin.edu/mongol-scrolls/

Travis's Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/tags/freer/

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives

Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984

Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP41 Currency in Ancient Japan Apr 11, 2012

Show notes

In this episode, your hosts examine the development of fiat and commodity currencies in Ancient Japan and the strategies used by the ruling class to encourage the distribution of coinage, as well as methods used by the ruling class to generate wealth.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Kobata Atsushi. Coinage from the Kamakura Period through the Edo Period.Acta Asiatica 21 (1971). pp98-108.

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives

Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984

Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP40 Samurai as Commander - Q&A with Nate Ledbetter Mar 25, 2012

Show notes

In this episode we finish off our battle of Nagashino series with an interview and Q&A with Nate Ledbetter, author of "Samurai as Commander: The Battle of Nagashino (1575) and the Military Decision-Making Process". The focus of our interview today is the battle itself.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Higuchi Takaharu. Karyoku no Tairyô Tônyû o Kyodai na Senryoku Toshite Katsuyô. Nagashino no Tatakai. Tokyo: Gakken Publishing, 2010. Print. Pp 72-77.

Higuchi Takaharu. Saigo ni Ketteida wo Ataeta Kiba Gundan ha Sonzai Shita!Nagashino no Tatakai. Tokyo: Gakken Publishing, 2010. Print. Pp. 66-71.

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives

Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984

Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

EP39 The Narrative and Analysis of the Battle of Nagashino Mar 11, 2012

Show notes

In this episode, Nate gives a narrative of the events of the battle of Nagashino, and his analysis of what happened on the battlefield. Find out how the battlefield was set up, troops arrayed, and how the battle went down in the 5th month of 1575.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Elisonas, J. and Lamers, J. The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga BRILL (June 22, 2011) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/9004201629

Sadler, A.L. Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Ieyasu Tuttle Publishing (July 10, 2009) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/4805310421

Support this podcast:

Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j

Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20

Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives

Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984

Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com

Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com