Japanese ‘holdout’ Shoichi Yokoi had been hiding out in the jungles of Guam since the Second World War when he was discovered by hunters on 24th January, 1972, dressed in clothes woven from tree fibre.
The 57 year-old soldier had endured 27 years living in an underground shelter he dug himself, eating toads, river eels and rats. Although he had heard the War ... Show More
Yesterday
Ricky Martin's Latin Explosion
Ricky Martin’s ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ was released on 23rd March, 1999 - launching the singer to worldwide superstardom, and kickstarting a Latino pop boom that propelled J-Lo, Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias and Santana into the charts. But he wasn’t an overnight su ... Show More
11m 4s
Mar 20
What Caused The Black Death?
The bubonic plague was blamed on witches, Jews, God’s wrath, and, on 20th March 1345, in a new theory propagated by the King of France, the rare planetary alignment between Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars in Aquarius. Of course, the real cause of the Black Death lay in the microscopic ... Show More
12m 8s
Oct 2023
The Hiroshima Maidens (1955) w/ Josh Levin
<p>It’s October 3rd. This day in 1956, a group of 25 Japanese women are heading back to Japan after spending a year in the United States receiving medical and cosmetic surgery.</p>
<p>Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Slate’s Josh Levin to talk about the “Hiroshima Maidens,” ... Show More
26m 47s
Dec 2022
277: Japan: Samurai and Shoguns
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic discuss the history of Japan through six characters, with leading cultural historian of Japan, Chris Harding, as they cover feuding lords and buddhist monks, both world wars, Japanese medieval poetry, Manga culture, and much, much more.
Join T ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2021
The Most Merciless Yokai: the Korori (Ep.85)
The obscure and terrifyingly deadly yokai, the korori, ravaged Edo Japan. On today's episode I'll tell you all about it, what it really was and how foreigners were the ones who brought it to Japan.
Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript.
Uncanny J ... Show More
15m 54s
May 2024
Yasuke: The First African Samurai
<p>Yasuke is one of the most captivating and yet mysterious figures within Japanese history. In 1581, at the height of the civil war, he crossed paths with the country’s most powerful warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Their meeting bound the two men together and set Yasuke on a path to beco ... Show More
29m 30s
<p><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/89428/THEM.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" />Jim dedicates this episode to the memory of his parents, Jim & Phyllis, who would have celebrated their 70th Weddi ... Show More
