This episode we talk to Dr. Travis Seifman about his work translating the Edo-Bakumatsu database Ishin Shiryo for the Tokyo Historiographical Institute. The link to the database is here: https://www.hi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ On the upper right, change the drop down menu to "English", then select the link "Database", and under "Historical Events" you'll see…

About 7 years ago, back in 2014, Forest Seal and myself did a bunch of episodes discussing various themes in Japanese history, and one episode that was never finished was this episode on the Sengoku Daimyo. The battery died while recording, and the reason we never revisited it was that it ended up more as a lecture, and we decided that a lecture fo…

In February 2021, Netflix released a docuseries on Sengoku era Japan entitled Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan. We continue our discussion on the docuseries with the two historians who were featured on the series, Dr. Elijah Bender and Nate Ledbetter, along with Megan Gilbert of Princeton, and Josh Badgley of the Chronicles of Japan podcast. Suppor…

In February 2021, Netflix released a docuseries on Sengoku era Japan entitled Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan. We have two historians who were featured on the series, Dr. Elijah Bender and Nate Ledbetter, along with Megan Gilbert of Princeton, and Josh Badgley of the Chronicles of Japan podcast on to talk about it. This was a really long conversat…

In this episode, we continue our discussion with Dr. Elijah Bender about the new Playstation game Ghost of Tsushima from the perspective of a professional historian. Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Featuring an open world, it follows Jin Sakai, a sa…

In this episode, Dr. Elijah Bender talks about the new Playstation game Ghost of Tsushima from the perspective of a professional historian. Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Featuring an open world, it follows Jin Sakai, a samurai on a quest to protec…

Welcome back to our coverage of the fire at Shuri castle in Okinawa in 2019. Dr. Travs Seifman continues his discussion of the fire, its implications, and its impact on Okinawa. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samuraiarchives Shopping on Amazon.com? Use our link: http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=samurai-20 Support t…

In late 2019, Shuri Castle in Okinawa burned down in a fire. Multiple buildings were burned, as well as a whole host of irreplaceable cultural artifacts. Dr. Travis Seifman talks about the history of the castle, what was lost, and what the castle means to the Okinawans. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samuraiarchives Shoppin…

In far Northern Japan on the peripheries of the known world, an aggressive and moody child with one eye and a bad temper would come to prominence almost despite himself. Date Masamune, AKA the "One-Eyed Dragon" would eventually become a powerful and enigmatic ruler in the far North who won the respect of some of the most powerful Daimyo of his age.…

Today I'm talking to Joshua Badgley, the host of Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan podcast. Get the inside scoop on this new podcast narrating the chronological history of Japan. Podcast link: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast Podcast Twitter: @SengokuPodcast Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samuraiarchives Shopping on Ama…

This episode, Marky Star, Dr. Travis Seifman, and I continue our discussion of travel and tourism in premodern Japan. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samuraiarchives Shopping on Amazon.com? Use our link: http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=samurai-20 Support this podcast: Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://ww…

This episode I'm joined by Marky Star of the JapanThis blog, and Dr. Travis Seifman to talk about travel and tourism in premodern Japan. We have a very wide ranging conversation that includes modern Japanese tourism, where to go to find the history of Japanese Ninja Socks, and why you can no longer get a prostitute with your ramen noodles. All that…

In this episode we continue our discussion of Japan's place in the "Chinese World Order". For thousands of years China was the center of culture and commerce in East Asia, and disseminated trade and political systems and ideology through a tribute system, which Japan had a complicated relationship with. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.p…

In this episode we discuss Japan's place in the "Chinese World Order". For thousands of years China was the center of culture and commerce in East Asia, and disseminated trade and political systems and ideology through a tribute system, which Japan had a complicated relationship with. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samuraia…

By the mid-1550's, Mori Motonari had expanded and consolidated his power base considerably. But with the Ouchi, Otomo, and Amako threats ever present, it was only a matter of time before the Mori clan would be thrust into an all out war for the West. Outro music "Two Swords" by _ghost Credit for this topic choice goes to Tercero. Thanks! Support th…

Early in the Sengoku period in 1523, Mori Motonari became the unexpected head of a scrappy little warrior house in Aki province, caught between two powerful warring clans. Motonari would eventually parlay his small holdings into one of the most powerful Samurai families in all of Western Japan. This is the story of his rise to power. Outro music "T…

This episode we continue our discussion of the Edo-period concept of "Sankin Kotai" - Daimyo alternate attendance. The system of Sankin Kotai developed by the Tokugawa Shogunate required that Daimyo reside in the Tokugawa castle at Edo for periods of time, alternating with residence at the daimyo's own castle. It's a key component to understanding …