The Life and Times of Kurosawa Akira -- BONUS
Kurosawa Akira is one of the most celebrated filmmakers in modern times whose work continues to enjoy considerable influence today. Born at...
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Society & Culture
A History of Japan
A history of the people of Japan, from the prehistoric Jomon period to the modern era. WARNING: This podcast occasionally touches on subjects of human sexuality, suicide, violence, and tortu...
Episodes
20 of 294 episodes
The Final Decade of Shōwa
This final regular episode of the podcast features the politics, economics, and cultural developments of 1980s Japan as the Shōwa Period cam...
Shifting Currents (Culture 1973-1979)
The social extremes of the Oil Shock Period ranged from radical terrorism, ahistorical revision of the Pacific War, the emergence of several...
Adapt and React (Economics 1973-1979)
To help mitigate the damage to Japan's economy during the Oil Shock period, its government would engage in global economic forums, encourage...
Toxic Shock (Politics 1973-1979)
The 1973 Oil Crisis had a devastating effect on Japan's economy and led to a period of rapid political turmoil as the ruling LDP, for the fi...
The Vietnam Wars (Vietnam, 1945-1976)
After Japan's surrender in August of 1945, the Empire of Vietnam witnessed a revolution and its winners crafted a declaration of independenc...
A Peninsula Divided (Korea, 1945-1975)
The Korean Peninsula was divided after the second world war as the Soviet Union occupied the north and the US occupying the south. Though th...
The Great Leap (China, 1953-1976)
As the People's Republic of China sought to establish itself as a modern nation state, its government chose to imitate the Soviet Union's pa...
The People’s Republic (China, 1945-1953)
After the Japanese Imperial Army evacuated China, any hopes of peaceful reunification were dashed as the Nationalists and Communists continu...
The New Wave (Social Matters, 1955-1972)
As incomes soared and standards of living likewise rising, the demand for entertainment in Japan also rose and the industries of film, telev...
Making a Miracle (Economics 1955-1972)
The Economic Miracle period witnessed, as its name suggests, tremendous economic growth throughout Japan. However, that growth came at a cos...
Tolerance and Patience (Politics 1954-1972, Part 2)
Ikeda Hayato managed to garner the necessary support to become the President of the LDP and the Prime Minister of Japan after Kishi Nobusuke...
The Big Tent (Politics 1955-1972, Part 1)
Conservatives and Leftists both experienced party mergers after the 1955 general election. However, it was the Liberal Democratic Party who...
Monsters Real and Imagined (Social Matters, 1945-1954)
The Allied occupation changed Japan's social norms in a variety of ways. When the occupation ended, some of those changes would remain while...
A New Deal for Japan (Economics 1945-1954)
Japan's economy expanded rapidly during the postwar rebuild - too rapidly. Hyperinflation created unrest and frustration which the labor mov...
The Reverse Course (Politics, 1945-1954, Part 2)
While the Allied occupation forces had initially supported the restoration of far-left parties to Japan's political arena, the advent of the...
The Reckoning (Politics, 1945-1954, Part 1)
The aftermath of the Pacific War led to an Allied occupation of Japan, during which time Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) Dougl...
The Other Holocaust - BONUS EPISODE
From 1931 to 1945, the empire of Japan was engaging in secret human experimentation in northeast China in violation of multiple internationa...
World War 2 on the Screen - BONUS EPISODE
In this episode, I discuss some of my favorite and not-so-favorite films which depict the events of the second world war. Support the show M...
The Prisoners - BONUS EPISODE
In this episode, we explore the different uses of concentration camps during the second world war in both Axis and Allied nations. Support t...