At the height of Imperial Japan, during a golden age of court intrigue, obsessive hierarchy, and fabulous sophistication, who was the legendary lothario and emperor’s son, Genji? What can the Tale of Genji - a great masterpiece of Japanese literature - tell us about this remarkable and alien world, and the imperial family at the heart of it? Who was the woma ... Show More
Yesterday
680. The Netherlands: The Revolt that Made The Modern World (Part 4)
How is the Dutch national anthem, that has its origins during a 1568 siege of a French city, connected to the Dutch Revolt? What is the revolt’s role in the birth of modernity? And, why does it say ‘to the King of Spain I’ve granted a lifelong loyalty’? Join Tom and Dominic as th ... Show More
1h 12m
May 2022
Susan Westhafer Furukawa, "The Afterlife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Historical Fiction and Popular Culture in Japan" (Harvard UP, 2022)
Popular representations of the past are everywhere in Japan, from cell phone charms to manga, from television dramas to video games to young people dressed as their favorite historical figures hanging out in the hip Harajuku district. But how does this mass consumption of the pas ... Show More
40 m
Jun 2025
The First Emperor of China
In the third century BC, China was a land fractured by war - a patchwork of rival kingdoms struggling for dominance. Out of this chaos rose a single, extraordinary figure who would reshape the course of history: Chin Shrr Hwong, the First Emperor of China. His achievements were m ... Show More
58m 24s
Feb 2025
Episode 385 - Killer Geisha: Abe Sada
The sex-mad geisha who sliced off her lover’s genitals, strangled him with a kimono belt, and carved her name into his arm, is perhaps Japan’s most famous criminal of the 20th century.Today, Abe’s story is practically a part of Japanese folklore. So how did this brutal killer bec ... Show More
1h 16m