Samurai Archives Japanese History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP28 14 Japanese Movies You Should See Part 1 Nov 25, 2011

Show notes

In this episode, we take a short break from Japanese history to touch on another related interest - Japanese movies. With hundreds of Japanese movies now easily available in the West, it can be tough to filter through what is worth watching. So, we thought we'd put together a Japanese Movie podcast where we could recommend to you movies that we think you should see. Rather than recommend "the best" Japanese movies, we decided to focus on less known movies that are great for their own specific reasons that we touch on in the podcast. After all, everyone interested in Japan and Japanese movies has already seen every Kurosawa movie out there. Since listing the movies we recommend here would defeat the purpose of the podcast, you'll have to listen to find out our recommendations - we hope you find this both interesting and informative! If you have another movie you'd like to recommend, feel free to add a comment on the podcast blog.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Flickchart: http://www.flickchart.com

Chris's Flickchart: http://www.flickchart.com/kuuzo

Travis's Flickchart: http://www.flickchart.com/Toranosuke

Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show: http://www.youtube.com/show/gorgeous_tiny

Okinawa ni Furu Yuki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxcixmxN4vM

The Yakuza Film Rundown: http://www.yakuzafilm.com

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EP27 Symposium Report - Why Ryoma Now Nov 19, 2011

Show notes

On October 11th, 2011, a symposium entitled "Why Ryoma Now?" was held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was attended by Chris and Travis. The symposium was moderated by the head of the Sakamoto Ryoma museum in Kochi prefecture, and the panel included the 9th generation head of the Sakamoto family, a descendant of Katsu Kaishu, a John Manjiro researcher, and others. In this episode of the Samurai Archives Japan History Podcast, they report on what their expectations of the symposium were, and what the symposium actually consisted of - and why the expectations didn't match with reality.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Beasley, W. The Meiji Restoration Stanford University Press; 1 edition (June 1, 1972) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804708150

Hillsborough, Romulus. Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai Ridgeback Pr (May 1999) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0966740165

Ichimujin - Official Site http://www.ichimujin.com

Japanese Castle Explorer - http://www.japanese-castle-explorer.com/

When the Last Sword Is Drawn Directed by Yôjirô Takita http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/B000BQ5J18

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EP26 A Chat With the Hosts of the Samurai Archives Podcast Nov 13, 2011

Show notes

This episode of the Samurai Archives Japan History Podcast, your hosts Nate, Chris, Travis, and Joseph talk about who they are and why they got interested in Japanese history. The hosts also comment on their interests and favorite books and historians.

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Astor, Gerald. A Blood-Dimmed Tide: The Battle of the Bulge by the Men Who Fought It Dell (December 3, 1993) http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Dimmed-Tide-Battle-Fought-Library/dp/0440215749/

Conlan, Thomas D. State of War: The Violent Order of Fourteenth-Century Japan Univ of Michigan Center for; illustrated edition edition (July 2003) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1929280238

Farris, William Wayne. Japan's Medieval Population: Famine, Fertility, and Warfare in a Transformative Age Univ of Hawaii Pr (August 1, 2009) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0824834240

Farris, William Wayne. Heavenly Warriors: The Evolution of Japan's Military, 500-1300 Harvard University Asia Center, April 15, 1996 http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/067438704X

Sansom, George. A History of Japan to 1334 Stanford University Press; 1 edition (June 1, 1958) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804705232

Sansom, George. A History of Japan, 1334-1615 Stanford University Press; 1 edition (June 1, 1961) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804705259

Sansom, George. A History of Japan, 1615-1867 Stanford University Press; 1 edition (June 1, 1963) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804705275

Statler, Oliver. Japanese Inn: A Reconstruction Of The Past Kessinger Publishing, LLC (September 10, 2010) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1166136787

Toby, Ronald. State and Diplomacy in Early Modern Japan: Asia in the Development of the Tokugawa Bakufu Stanford University Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1991) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804719527

Vaporis, Constantine. Tour of Duty: Samurai, Military Service in Edo, and the Culture of Early Modern Japan Univ of Hawaii Pr (July 31, 2008) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0824832051

Varley, H. Paul. Warriors of Japan: As Portrayed in the War Tales University of Hawaii Press (April 1994) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0824816013

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EP25 Military History Lesson: Strategy Vs Tactics, A Sengoku Example Nov 06, 2011

Show notes

This episode of the Samurai Archives Japanese History Podcast, we tackle a recurring question that comes up time and again: the misunderstanding of "strategy" vs. "tactics" as used in military history. Most people seem to think the words are interchangeable. However, when you're discussing military history, it's important to use the correct terms because they imply completely different things. This examination of the meaning and application of strategy, operations, and tactics is illustrated by both modern examples, as well as the battle of Okehazama and the battle of Nagashino.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Conlan, Thomas. Weapons & Fighting Techniques of the Samurai Warrior 1200-1877 AD By Thomas, D Conlan, Amber Books Ltd, 2008 http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1906626073

Von Clausewitz, Carl. On War Princeton University Press; 1St Edition edition (June 1, 1989) http://www.amazon.com/War-Carl-von-Clausewitz/dp/0691018545

Samurai Archives Blog: Strategical Buffoonery http://shogun-yashiki.blogspot.com/2010/06/strategical-buffoonery.html

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

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

EP24 Intro to Japanese History P15 - Tokugawa & Toyotomi Unification Oct 30, 2011

Show notes

For our final Introduction to Japanese History series podcast, we cover the last part of the Sengoku period. We start with the assassination of Oda Nobunaga by Akechi Mitsuhide in Kyoto while all of his other generals are scattered about the country. Toyotomi (Hashiba) Hideyoshi gets back to Kyoto first and avenges Nobunaga's death, and the unification of Japan continues under him, and then ultimately under Tokugawa Ieyasu. We cover the events and battles of this period, as well as answer some listener Q&A about the Sengoku period.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Berry, Mary E. Hideyoshi (Harvard East Asian Monographs) Council on East Asian Studies, Harvard University (January 1, 1989) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0674390261

Farris, William Wayne. Heavenly Warriors: The Evolution of Japan's Military, 500-1300 Harvard University Asia Center, April 15, 1996 http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/067438704X

Friday, Karl. Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan (Warfare and History) Routledge; New edition edition (December 29, 2003) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0415329639

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EP23 Intro to Japanese History P14 - The Wars of Oda Nobunaga Oct 24, 2011

Show notes

From the 1550's until his death in 1582, Oda Nobunaga was involved in constant warfare. One by one, the major Daimyo of his era - the Imagawa, the Takeda, the Asai and Asakura and others - fell before his armies. This episode, we give a concise history of Nobunaga's ambition to unify the country under his rule, from the pivotal battle of Okehazama that first put him on the national stage, to his betrayal at the hands of Akechi Mitsuhide.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Lamers, Jeroen. Japonius Tyrannus: The Japanese Warlord Oda Nobunaga Reconsidered Hotei Publishing (November 2001) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/9074822223

Neilson, David Society at War: Eyewitness Accounts of Sixteenth Century Japan PhD Dissertation University of Oregon, 2007 http://gradworks.umi.com/32/85/3285619.html

Yoshikawa, Eiji. Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan Kodansha Amer Inc; 1st edition (September 1992) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/4770026099

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

EP22 Intro to Japanese History P13 - Sengoku Daimyo Who’s Who Oct 16, 2011

Show notes

For the 13th episode of our Introduction to Japanese History series, we present a "Who's Who" of Daimyo of the later Sengoku period. We cover the big names of the Sengoku, the Daimyo that anyone who has an interest in the Samurai would have heard of, and is a primer for those who are new to the Samurai. Introduced in this podcast are Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, and others.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Lamers, Jeroen. Japonius Tyrannus: The Japanese Warlord Oda Nobunaga Reconsidered Hotei Publishing (November 2001) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/9074822223

Neilson, David Society at War: Eyewitness Accounts of Sixteenth Century Japan PhD Dissertation University of Oregon, 2007 http://gradworks.umi.com/32/85/3285619.html

Samurai Archives Blog: The Death of Takeda Shingen - A Translation http://shogun-yashiki.blogspot.com/2011/04/death-of-takeda-shingen-translation.html

Samurai Archives Blog: Interview with John Bender, Sengoku Student and Analyst http://shogun-yashiki.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-with-john-bender-sengoku.html

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

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

EP21 Intro to Japanese History P12 - The Early Sengoku Period Oct 09, 2011

Show notes

After the Onin war in the mid-late 15th century, the centralized power of the Ashikaga Shogunate collapsed, leaving the field open to anyone ambitious and powerful enough to make a grab for power. During the first half of the Sengoku period (approximately 1477-1560) there was massive consolidation as daimyo across Japan solidified their power bases and battled for land and resources. The lack of central government left individual clans to fend for themselves, and in the ensuing chaos many would rise and fall in epic battles that anyone familiar with the pop-culture representations of the Samurai in Movies and Anime would recognize.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Morillo, Stephen. Guns and Government: A Comparative Study of Europe and Japan Journal of World History, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Spring, 1995), pp. 75-106 http://www.jstor.org/pss/20078620

Neilson, David Society at War: Eyewitness Accounts of Sixteenth Century Japan PhD Dissertation University of Oregon, 2007 http://gradworks.umi.com/32/85/3285619.html

Toby, Ronald. Review: Rescuing the Nation from History: The State of the State in Early Modern Japan Monumenta Nipponica Vol. 56, No. 2 (Summer, 2001), pp. 197-237 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2668408

Samurai Archives Blog: Interview with John Bender, Sengoku Student and Analyst http://shogun-yashiki.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-with-john-bender-sengoku.html

Shogun Total War - Gold Edition (Game)

Sengoku(Game)

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EP20 Intro to Japanese History P11 - Prelude to the Sengoku Oct 02, 2011

Show notes

In this episode of our Introduction to Japanese History series, we look at the 15th century and the build up to the Onin war, and what would ultimately lead to the age of the country at war - the Sengoku period.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Durston, Diane. Old Kyoto: The Updated Guide to Traditional Shops, Restaurants, and Inns Kodansha USA; 2 edition (April 1, 2005) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/4770029942

Grossberg, Kenneth. From Feudal Chieftain to Secular Monarch: The Development of Shogunal Power in Early Muromachi Japan Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Spring, 1976), pp. 29-49 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2384184

Grossberg, Kenneth. Japan's Renaissance - The Politics of the Muromachi Bakufu Cornell University, New York, 2001 http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1885445083

Mason, Penelope. History of Japanese Art Prentice Hall; 2nd edition (October 4, 2004) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0131176013

Souryi, Pierre. The World Turned Upside Down: Medieval Japanese Society (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) Columbia University Press (August 27, 2003) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0231118430

Verschuer, Charlotte Von. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's Foreign Policy 1398 to 1408 A.D.: A Translation from Zenrin Kokuhōki, the Cambridge Manuscript Monumenta Nipponica Volume 62, Number 3, Autumn 2007 https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/monumenta_nipponica/summary/v062/62.3verschuer.html

Yamamura, Kozo & Imatani, Akira. Not for Lack of Will or Wile: Yoshimitsu's Failure to Supplant the Imperial Lineage Journal of Japanese Studies Vol. 18, No. 1 (Winter, 1992), pp. 45-78 http://www.jstor.org/stable/132707

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EP19 Intro to Japanese History P10 - The Early Muromachi Period Sep 19, 2011

Show notes

For the 10th episode in our Intro to Japanese History podcast series, we examine the events that lead to the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate. Emperor Go-Daigo, deciding he wants a return to imperial rule without a Shogunate, enlists various warrior families to support him in overthrowing the Kamakura Bakufu and the Hojo regents - however not all goes as planned as Ashikaga Takauji, his ally turned enemy, ends his dream of imperial rule and establishes the Ashikaga Shogunate. Unfortunately for the Ashikaga clan, it's not all rainbows and lollipops for the first 60 years of the Ashikaga Shogunate, as Go-Daigo's supporters set up an alternate imperial line and engage in decades of guerrilla and outright war on behalf of the emperor.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Arnesen, Peter. The Medieval Japanese Daimyo: The Ouchi Family's Rule of Suo and Nagato Yale University Press (1979) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/B000PSGVY6

Grossberg, Kenneth. Japan's Renaissance - The Politics of the Muromachi Bakufu Cornell University, New York, 2001 http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1885445083

Mishima, Yukio.The Temple of the Golden Pavilion Vintage; Trade Paperback Edition edition (October 4, 1994) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0679752706

Mishima, Yukio.Patriotism New Directions; Second Edition edition (February 24, 2010) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0811218546

Morris, Ivan. The Nobility of Failure: Tragic Heroes in the History of Japan Farrar, Straus and Giroux (September 1, 1988) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0374521204

Zollner, Reinhard. Review: The Sun Also Rises. Go-Daigo in Revolt Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 53, No. 4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 517-527 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2385743

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