logo
episode-header-image
May 20
38m 4s

Mount Hiei: Home of Japan's Warrior Monk...

History Hit
About this episode

Assassin's Creed: Shadows gives players the chance to visit the imperial capital of medieval Japan. But today, we're heading to a mountain lying just northeast of the capital: Mount Hiei, a sacred site that was protected by a powerful army of warrior monks.


Dr Chris Harding, Senior Lecturer in Asian History from the University of Edinburgh, returns to help Matt Lewis understand what life was like on Mount Hiei during the late Sengoku period; its role in the story of Japanese unification; and what all this can tell us about Japanese religious beliefs at the time.


Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit.


Hosted by: Matt Lewis


Edited by: Tim Arstall


Produced by: Matt Lewis, Robin McConnell


Senior Producer: Anne-Marie Luff


Production Manager: Beth Donaldson


Executive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen Bennett


Music by The Flight


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.


You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Up next
Aug 21
Emperor Nero
Emperor Nero has gone down in history as the archetypal bad ruler - cruel, decadent, and perhaps even responsible for setting Rome ablaze. But how much of this is fact, and how much is propaganda?Dr Shushma Malik from the University of Cambridge joins us to dive into Nero’s reign ... Show More
45m 16s
Aug 19
The Colosseum
Join Dan in Rome as he unravels the dramatic story of the Colosseum and the gladiators who fought — and died — for glory. From the origins of gladiatorial combat in funerary rites to the elaborate, politically charged spectacles of the Imperial era, Dan reveals what it took to re ... Show More
1h 12m
Aug 17
Napoleon in Paris
Napoleon Bonaparte dreamed Paris would be the 'capital city of the universe' and much of what we see - and love - about Paris is thanks to him. The long straight boulevards, the fountains, the galleries and museums- even the bread that comes with European cuisine were brought in ... Show More
48m 11s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Echoes of History: Civil War in Feudal Japan
Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social upheaval and civil war which transformed the country. Shogun-led authority was shattered and 150 years of murder and betrayal followed as fearso ... Show More
35m 44s
May 2024
Civil War in Feudal Japan: The Sengoku Period
Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social upheaval and civil war which transformed the country. Shogun-led authority was shattered and 150 years of murder and betrayal followed as fearso ... Show More
34m 22s
Apr 2025
Hattori Hanzo: The Medieval Demon Samurai
Matt Lewis presents a special episode from his podcast Echoes of History on the medieval 'Demon' Samurai. In the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the legendary Hattori Hanzo embodies both samurai and shinobi warriors, and earned himself the nickname "The Demon".How did Hattori ... Show More
43m 8s
Jun 2024
Kyoto: Japan's Imperial City
During the Onin Wars of the early Sengoku period, Kyoto was razed as civil war struck the Imperial capital. Only with unification did the city begin to rebuild. This episode will explore the rise and fall and rise again of Kyoto, what life in the city might have looked like, and ... Show More
45m 40s
May 2024
The Unification of Japan
In the 16th century, Japan was embroiled in what is known as Sengoku jidai - ‘The Warring States’ period. It was a time of bloody battles, social upheaval and is known as the most violent in Japan’s history.  But how, and when, did 150 years of bitter warfare and division come to ... Show More
44m 46s
Mar 2025
The Anglo-Sikh Wars
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India puts players in the heart of the Sikh Empire in 1841, at a time when only the Sikh Empire remained unconquered by the British. Perhaps inevitably, this decade witnessed the bloody Anglo-Sikh Wars. These conflicts would ultimately determine the f ... Show More
54m 16s
Jan 2025
Topkapi Palace: The Heart of the Ottoman Empire
Associate Professor Nilay Özlü from Istanbul Technical University joins Matt Lewis to help him understand the Ottoman's most significant mark on the landscape of Istanbul, that players can freely explore in Assassin's Creed Revelations: Topkapi Palace. Echoes of History is a Ubis ... Show More
52m 9s
Apr 2025
561. The Golden Age of Japan: Secrets of the Imperial Court (Part 2)
In the vibrant but vicious golden age of Imperial Japan, how did women use writing as a way to secure their status, and express their deepest desires? Who was Sei Shōnagon, the witty courtier whose account of life around the Japanese Empress during the iconic Heian period, provid ... Show More
1h 8m
Jan 2025
Suleiman the Magnificent
Assassin’s Creed Revelations lets us meet a young Suleiman before he became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and long before he became “the Magnificent”.  Matt Lewis is joined by Prof. Giancarlo Cassale to explain how Suleiman earned his epithet, and how the game’s presentation of h ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 2024
Prehistoric Japan
From the arrival of the first humans reaching the Japanese archipelago some 50,000 years ago to the enduring Jomon culture, Japan has a fascinating prehistory. This is discovered in the rich archaeological record that includes stone circles, intricate ceramics and evidence of the ... Show More
53m 36s