As the new Meiji government continued to develop and expand, so did the participation of Japanese commoners in the political process. The 1870s witnessed the Iwakura Mission and the birth of Japan's first newspapers which were quickly followed by censorship laws. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Bar…

Now firmly established in Tokyo, the Meiji leaders launched a series of measures aimed at bringing feudal Japan into the modern age. However, upon their inception, these reforms often met with violent reactions. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts S…

In the closing days of the Boshin War, the remnant of the Bakufu's forces attempted to establish a semi-independent state on the northern island of Hokkaido. The fledgling Meiji government, however, had no intention of allowing this. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Liste…

After the Boshin War, the Shogunate as a form of government would cease to exist. In this episode we examine the three different warrior governments that ruled over Japan over nearly seven centuries and see what they did well, where they struggled, and why such a form of government ultimately failed. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Cru…

In this bonus episode, we trace the origins of the samurai and their subsequent evolution to the heights of political power. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!By Justin Hebert

Three samurai are credited with significant contributions to the success of the Meiji Revolution and in this episode we explore their backgrounds and experiences during the tumultuous Bakumatsu period. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other o…

Tensions between the Bakufu and the freshly-energized Loyalists came to a head when a shogunate army was refused entry to Kyoto - then promptly fired upon. The ensuing Boshin War was largely one-sided, with Loyalists gaining repeated victories due to superior arms, tactics, and numbers. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue t…

Things appeared grim for Choshu Domain after their defeat to western forces at the Battle of Shimonoseki. In a few short years, however, their fortunes would be completely reversed and the Bakufu would find itself politically besieged. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Lis…

After the assassination of Ii Naosuke, political violence became a new norm. The Shogunate was deeply troubled when a rebellion began in its own backyard of northern Kanto, in Mito Domain. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show…

After the national humiliation and subsequent economic turmoil caused by opening Japan to more foreign trade, the Bakufu desperately tried to regain a position of national authority. This culminated in the Ansei Purge initiated by the chief elder Ii Naosuke. However, the shogunate's tough actions would bring significant unexpected consequences. Col…

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry from the United States of America forced Japan to become open to foreign trade. How did he succeed where so many others had failed? Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show My latest nov…

Throughout the 1840s, various groups sought to find solutions to repeated violations of sakoku and questioned the ability of the shogunate to practically defend the country if there was an actual invasion. Many came to very different conclusions. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the w…

Throughout the 1700s, after a series of political purges and national instability, the Joseon kingdom experienced a cultural flowering. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now availab…

As the Qing Dynasty continued to decline in the wake of mass rebellions and longstanding insurgencies, a conflict with the British East India Trade Company would evolve into the disastrous Opium Wars. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Supp…

The reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong represented a time of increasing expansion, stabilizing, and solidifying for China in the 1700s. However, some of the tendencies of the Qing Dynasty would ultimately sow the seeds for its own destruction. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family memb…

The Sakoku isolation policies were meant to keep the Japanese government insulated from dangerous foreign influence. However, its tendency toward restriction and xenophobia could not be easily balanced with the Bakufu's desire to continue governing the nation. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family mem…

After the expulsion of Matsudaira Sadanobu, the shogun was free to pursue the lavish lifestyle he had always dreamed of. Thanks to a buoyant economy, the rest of the nation joined him in conspicuous consumption. These good times, however, would eventually come to an end. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving…

Newly anointed chief of the roju Matsudaira Sadanobu wanted to set Japan back on course after the devastating Great Tenmei Famine. However, some of his more restrictive policies would prove unpopular. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Supp…

The forced isolation of the Edo Period was part of a larger strategy by the Bakufu to ensure the removal of any possible rivals. However, Japan greatly benefited from foreign import and foreign learning, in spite of the shogunate's insistence that the nation needed no such outside interference. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that co…

The reigns of shoguns Tokugawa Ieshige and Tokugawa Ieharu caused further weakness in the Bakufu at a critical time. Rampant corruption was encouraged by one chief of the Roju named Tanuma Okitsugu. The Great Tenmei Famine, however, would bring all of his schemes crashing down. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt g…

All three of Japan's unifiers attempted to merge secular strength with spiritual authority, with varying degrees of success. After his death, however, Tokugawa Ieyasu would continue to be venerated by future shoguns as a shining avatar of Buddha watching over the nation from the heavens. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now…

Near the beginning of the Edo Period, a samurai from Sendai Domain in Tohoku took a globe-spanning journey which took him across two oceans and included Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, and the Philippines. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other…

While some Ronin chose to lay aside their swords and take up artisinal crafts, some found new purpose in teaching the way of the warrior to the next generation. Miyamoto Musashi embodied the twilight of the Sengoku samurai in walking the path of dueling, teaching, creating, and ultimately leaving a legacy of strategy, tactics, and wisdom. Support t…

In this episode, we discuss the founder of Kabuki theatre Izumo Okuni, playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon, legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro, poet Matsuo Basho, and the birth of Ukiyo-e painting. Here is a link to a short film about Hidari Jingoro (CONTENT WARNING: EPIC STOP-MOTION VIOLENCE): https://youtu.be/DpefYPLH67A?si=qpVZHtEncVs9WnPT Support th…

After the brief reigns of Tokugawa Ienobu and his young son Ietsugu, the Bakufu selected a new shogun from the Kii Branch of the Tokugawa Clan. Tokugawa Yoshimune inherited a national government in the midst of multiple crises and introduced the Kyoho Reforms to try and set the ship of state back on its proper course. Cold Case Western Australia Th…

The Early Edo Period was a time of newfound stability for the formerly chaotic Japanese archipelago. Although the samurai were the official ruling class of the nation, however, in many ways they were not the principle beneficiaries of the new national status quo. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family …

The tenure of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was marked by a fervent support of Neo-Confucian reforms, some of which were extremely radical and some of which were downright wacky. It was during his reign that the events surrounding the tale of the forty-seven ronin occurred. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family…

The Kings of Joseon were faced with many difficult decisions throughout the 1600s as their nation faced Manchurian invasion, internal military coups, and a tumultuously factional political class. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support t…

As the Ming Dynasty faced utter collapse in the face of famines, plagues, and peasant rebellions, the Qing Dynasty of Manchuria would surge and, eventually, take its place as the ruling dynasty of China. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify S…

Under pressure from outside and within, the Ming Dynasty of China gradually lost control after a series of famines, plagues, and peasant rebellions. By the early 1600s, however, the Later Jin Dynasty began to take charge after unifying Manchuria and soon set its sights on claiming the Mandate of Heaven for themselves. Cold Case Western Australia Th…

The reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu proved to be a stabilizing force in Japanese politics, as he defined the duties of the various office-holders throughout the Bakufu which helped make the Edo Shogunate the longest-lasting samurai government in Japanese history. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family member…

The reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu was marked by a general trend toward increasing the shogunate's power through self-perpetuating bureaucracy. His son Ietsuna's reign would prove to be a test of the Bakufu's machinery. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcast…

As the Bakufu continued to persecute Christianity, and certain daimyo continued taxing their subjects at punitive rates, a rebellion broke out in Kyushu in 1637 which would prove to be the end of any remaining tolerance the Shogunate had for foreign elements in Japan. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving fa…

When conflict erupted at last between Toyotomi Hideyori and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the resulting battles would decide the political future of Japan for hundreds of years to come. However, in spite of the reduction they had experienced at the Shogun's hands, the Toyotomi Clan was still able to raise significant numbers of troops. Cold Case Western Austral…

Shortly after the foundation of the new shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu gradually makes his fortified city Edo into the new unofficial political capital of Japan. He needed to proceed carefully, however, to avoid offending the powerful daimyo who still supported young Toyotomi Hideyori. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to hau…

Throughout Japanese history, there were people called "Nonhumans" who specialized in removing spiritual pollution. While their descendants would face discrimination during the Edo Period, in this episode we explore their origins and discuss why they became segregated and oppressed. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now avail…

In this special bonus episode, we follow the career of Date Masamune, a daimyo from Tohoku who consolidated power in the north and became one of the most feared warriors and battle leaders in the nation during the Azuchi-Momoyama Period. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple B…

After the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu continued carefully and gradually accumulating his own power and was named Seii-tai-shogun in 1603. This episode also features the adventures of William Adams, the first Englishman to come to Japan. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the w…

Ishida Mitsunari gathered the various factions that composed his Western Army, hoping to face off against Tokugawa Ieyasu in Mikawa Province. Ieyasu had other plans, however, and confronted Mitsunari in Mino Province instead. The battle that ensued was legendary, and the winner would gain control over the entire nation. Cold Case Western Australia …

After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Go-Tairo, or Council of Five Elders, would contend with one another over how best to interpret and execute the Taiko's final commands. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show My latest …

After a few years of uneasy ceasefire, the fighting resumes between the Japanese and the Koreans and their Ming allies. After a massive setback when the new-and-improved Japanese Navy nearly annihilates the Korean fleet at Chilcheollyang, Admiral Yi Sun-sin would once more bring his martial prowess to bear against his foes on the high seas with stu…

The Imjin War takes on a new dimension as fully-equipped armies from the Ming Dynasty arrive to take on the Japanese invasion. What began as an easy conquest for Toyotomi Hideyoshi soon became an intractable quagmire and gradually settled into a stalemate. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members…

As the 1592 invasion of Korea continued, the Japanese armies enjoyed a rapid sequence of victories on land, dominating the peninsula in sieges and battles. Their quick success would soon become a liability, however, when the superior Joseon Navy started sinking supply ships and overcoming Japanese battle fleets. Cold Case Western Australia They're …

In 1592, the armies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea, engaging in wanton slaughter, merciless plundering, and surprisingly rapid success. Because the Joseon Kingdom was almost completely unprepared for this incursion, they would need to rely on the aid of Ming China to win back control of the peninsula. Cold Case Western Australia They're the cr…

After campaigning in Shikoku and Kyushu, the only remaining regions still just outside of Hideyoshi's grasp were Kanto and Tohoku, who would both soon be brought into line. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show My latest novel…

In this episode we explore the many social and economic innovations spearheaded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during his time at the nation's helm. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now ava…

The islands of Shikoku and Kyushu were both in the process of their own unification when Hideyoshi brought his armies to bear against their major powers and forced their submission. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show My lat…

Hashiba Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu face off in Owari Province with massive armies to determine who would be the official protector of Nobunaga's rightful heir. Although it appeared that a massive, dramatic battle was imminent, the months-long standoff turned into a stalemate in which neither side could gain a significant advantage. Cold Case Wes…

Now that his retainers had successfully avenged his betrayal, one of them would manage to seize power now that the great daimyo was gone. However, the question of who would take up Nobunaga's Mantle would ultimately be decided on the battlefield. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the w…

In the wake of Oda Nobunaga's death, Hashiba Hideyoshi rushed to finalize a truce with the Mori Clan before racing back to Kansai with his army to face off against the forces of Akechi Mitsuhide. Cold Case Western Australia They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support t…