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Society & Culture

A History of Japan

Justin Hebert

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...

A History of Japan Podcast Guide

Listen to A History of Japan, a Society & Culture podcast by Justin Hebert. Stream 292 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.

Show Topic

Browse this show under Society & Culture podcasts.

Episodes

20 episodes are loaded now from a catalog of 292. More episodes can be opened from this page.

Episodes

20 of 292 episodes

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...

27:44Aug 10, 2026

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...

26:39Aug 3, 2026

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...

26:44Jul 27, 2026

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...

48:35Jul 20, 2026

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...

50:04Jul 13, 2026

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...

26:43Jul 6, 2026

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...

26:53Jun 29, 2026

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...

34:26Jun 22, 2026

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...

36:50Jun 15, 2026

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...

39:51Jun 1, 2026

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...

37:07May 11, 2026

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...

42:04Apr 27, 2026

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...

20:29Jan 12, 2026

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...

19:16Jan 4, 2026

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...

27:53Dec 22, 2025

The Resistance - BONUS EPISODE

Not everyone in the belligerent nations of the second world war was eager to support their government. This episode is all about those who s...

20:37Dec 15, 2025

The Pacific War, Part 6: Surrender

Although the Axis Powers were clearly losing ground throughout late 1944 and early 1945, Japan continued fighting for months after Germany s...

37:37Dec 11, 2025