A History of Japan (Justin Hebert)

A progress report on Season 7, which will begin soon. I promise.

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After the Gempei War, Minamoto Yoritomo moved toward creating a permanent parallel government in Kamakura. Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa, however, continued to interfere until eventually brother was pitted against brother.

With the Northern Fujiwara gone, Yoritomo continued to consolidate power and was named to the post of Seii-Tai-Shogun.

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We have learned much about Yoritomo's actions as a leader, but in this episode we will start by examining his family life and later years.

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In the wake of Minamoto Yoritomo's death, the Bakufu appointed his son Yoriie as the new Shogun under the watchful eye of the regent Hojo Tokimasa. However, the oldest son of Yoritomo had ideas of his own about how the nation ought to be governed and whom should do the governing.

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The Bakufu enjoyed a relatively stable period in the early 1200s thanks largely to the  joint leadership of Hojo Masako and her brother Yoshitoki. Masako earned such a reputation for power brokering that she was given the nickname "Ama Shogun," which means "The Nun Shogun."

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A month after Emperor Chukyo was enthroned, Retired Emperor Go-Toba decided that the time was right for a reckoning against Kamakura. The Shogunate would have to fight for its survival in the Jōkyū War.

After Hojo Yoshitoki's unexpected death in 1224, his son Hojo Yasutoki took over as the Shogun's regent. He would guide Japan through some of its most difficult times as the nation was hit with famine, disease, crop failure, and other catastrophes.

After Hojo Yasutoki's death, his sons Tsunetoki and Toriyoki would build upon his legacy and even outdo their father if they hoped to preserve the Hojo Regency.

The Kamakura Period saw the founding of many new Buddhist schools throughout Japan, including exclusively Pure Land sects as well as Zen. The traditional schools, however, often collaborated with the court or the Bakufu to suppress these teachings and their leaders.

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Temujin was only 9 years old when his father was murdered and his family expelled from their tribe. After overcoming a crushing set of obstacles, he would eventually become the great Khan of all Mongols and build a massive land empire that stretched across nearly the entire Asian continent.

After the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongols would continue to administer his Empire and expand its borders. Eventually factions would form around his descendants and the Mongol Empire would split into four independent nations.

After several threatening letters, the Yuan Dynasty would finally send two punitive expeditions to Japan, first in 1274 and then in 1281.

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Fearing a third invasion from the Yuan Dynasty, the Bakufu continued to pour resources into fortifications and standing guards while the veterans from the first two invasions became increasingly dissatisfied with their rewards.

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As the squabble over imperial succession heated up, the Kamakura Shogunate failed to contain the rebellious elements in Kansai and Chugoku who now plotted freely against them.

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Although Emperor Go-Daigo's loyalists suffered a terrible setback when he was exiled, they continued fighting against the Bakufu, whose ability to prosecute this war was hindered by corruption and incompetence.

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In spite of Emperor Go-Daigo's exile, his partisans continued fighting in Yamato and Kawachi Provinces. Through a series of surprising reversals, the Kamakura Bakufu would soon find itself on the defensive side of this war.

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Selected poems in Japanese (with English translation) from the renowned Kamakura Period anthology "Shin Kokin Wakashu."

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Explore the aesthetics of the Kamakura Period, which is considered a golden age for both painting and sculpting in Japan!

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The Taiheiki tells the story of the fall of the Kamakura Bakufu in an exciting, dramatized fashion. Enjoy these selections!

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Apologies for the delay, but check out "Japanese History Hidden in our Screens" until this pod's triumphant return in October.

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Emperor Go-Daigo took the throne and immediately tried to establish himself as the sole ruler of Japan. While his taxation of trade and mercantile approach to imperial governance were very practical, those he appointed to reward the samurai who had fought on his behalf were inexperienced and corrupt.

Having left the capital without permission to quell a pro-Hojo rebellion in Kanto, Ashikaga Takauji compounded the situation by refusing to return to Heian-kyo. The resulting civil war pitted the loyalists of Emperor Go-Daigo against the frustrated samurai who followed the Ashikaga brothers.

Although Ashikaga Takauji had been chased out of Honshu for the moment, he was safe among allies in Kyushu where he planned to make a dramatic return. Emperor Go-Daigo, determined to remain in the capital, ordered his loyalists to attack Takauji as he made his return, resulting in a crushing disaster for his cause.

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After Emperor Go-Daigo's flight to Yoshino, the nation was split in a civil conflict which would last for decades called the Nanboku-Cho Wars.

Leaving the fighting of the Nanboku-cho wars aside for the moment, we take some time to examine the economics, aesthetics, and social developments of the early Muromachi period.

The Southern Court attempts to mount a nationwide uprising against the Ashikaga Shogunate, sending their agents to Tohoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu as the Bakufu struggles with internal dissention and rivalries.

The rivalry between the Ko brothers and Ashikaga Tadayoshi comes to a head and results in a stunning reversal for the Northern Court. However, Ashikaga Takauji would not be quick to forgive his brother for his betrayal.

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Within a decade, Heian-kyo would undergo multiple possessions by both the Northern and Southern Court. As Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is installed as the third Shogun, his regent Hosokawa Yoriyuki solidifies the Bakufu's status as a legitimate funcitoning government.

The reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was remarkable for many reasons, including the conclusion of the Nanboku-cho period. As the Southern Court finally capitulates, however, they soon learn that the Bakufu has no intention of enforcing their end of the peace treaty.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu retires... or does he? The Ouchi clan seizes its moment but faces off against the Shogun's private army - the Hokoshu. We also explore the differences and similarities between the Muromachi Bakufu and the Kamakura Shogunate.

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After Kublai Khan's death, the Yuan Dynasty was divided by two rival factions - one who wanted total Mongol traditional rule and one who preferred Confucian government. The economic turmoil caused by these feuding parties gave rise, in part, to the Red Turban Rebellion.

As the Yuan Dynasty lost ground against rebel uprisings, a leader of the Red Turbans would eliminate his rivals until finally driving the Yuan out of Khanbaliq and founding the Ming Dynasty.

As the Yuan Dynasty fled China, two factions emerged in the Korean government - one which supported Yuan restoration and one which acknowledged the new Ming Dynasty. As a result, the Goryeo Dynasty collapsed and in its place arose the Joseon Dynasty.

In the closing years of the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the Shogun would continue to reach ever higher for honors and titles which were usually reserved for sovereigns. He would also continue to refine Japan's aesthetic tastes by patronizing Noh performances.

After Yoshimitsu, the Ashikaga Shoguns would all try their hand at keeping the powerful shugo-daimyo clans in line. Ashikaga Yoshinori went to extreme lengths to dominate them, but paid the ultimate price.

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Ashikaga Yoshimasa wanted to retire from the office of Shogun, so he chose his brother Yoshimi to be his successor. In 1465, however, his wife gave birth to a son. As two powerful clans each threw their weight behind a different candidate, war became imminent.

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As the Onin War continued to ravage the capital, it sparked regional conflicts and forced the Shugo-daimyo  and peasants to fend for themselves amid the civil war. When the war was over, the political power of the Shogunate reached an all-time low.

In this special bonus episode, we will read the entire Kemmu Shikimoku and selections from Kitabatake Chikafusa's Jinno Shotoki.

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Just like the political upheaval during the Muromachi Period, there was also aesthetic upheaval. The world of Japanese poetry would soon be challenged by a new type of cooperative verse known as Renga. The consequences for its champions, however, would sometimes prove extremely dire.

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Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta were two travelers whose journeys to China made them famous. In this episode, we will explore their accounts and examine the criticism of their skeptics.

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The capital had been utterly destroyed by the Onin War and when the conflict ended, it was time to rebuild. The Bakufu needed to rebuild its image and Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa saw an opportunity in neighboring Omi Province, where a Daimyo of the Rokkaku had been seizing lands without permission.

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A succession dispute in Kaga Province leads to a social revolution launched by radical egalitarians --  followers of Rennyo called the Ikko.

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Hatakeyama Masanaga continued to use his influence over the young Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane to settle his ongoing dispute with his elder cousin. While they are busy in Kawachi Province, Hosokawa Masamoto decides the time is right to make his move.

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Somehow, the Hojo have returned. In this episode, we follow the adventures of Nagao Tamekage and Hojo Soun, two samurai who would become a new kind of daimyo for a new age.

After Hosokawa Masamoto's assassination, power was once again up for grabs and Ashikaga Yoshitane was determined to once more sit upon the shogunal throne. He was the first in a series of puppet shoguns elevated by ambitious daimyo who wielded power in their names.

In this episode, we examine some of the many ways in which war during the Sengoku Period had a much different character from previous eras because of technology, economics, and necessity.

This episode broadly covers the developments in the Imagawa, Takeda, and Uesugi Clans during the first half of the 1500s.

This episode broadly covers the developments in the Date, Oda, and Mori Clans during the first half of the 1500s.

In this third installment of the Sengoku States series, we follow the activities of the Shimazu Clan on Kyushu, the Chosokabe Clan on Shikoku, and the Miyoshi Clan on Shikoku and in Kansai during the early-to-mid 1500s.

In the mid-1500s, a Portuguese ship sought safe harbor from Tsukushima Island and thus began a robust, vibrant trade relationship between two distant powers. In addition to guns, silks, and exotic foreign goods, however, these "Southern Barbarians" also brought missionaries preaching a religion heretofore unknown to the Japanese: Roman Catholic Christianity.

The Ming Dynasty approached its peak, before rapidly declining due to corruption, graft, and a gradual decline in the quality of its burueacucrats.

In spite of suffering through the occasional violent coup, cruel tyrant, and political purge, the Joseon Dynasty showed real staying power throughout the 14- and 1500s and would even manage some impressive national accomplishments.

The continuing adventures of the ambitious Miyoshi Clan leaders led to a series of destructive conflicts throughout Kansai that eventually left the remnant of the Bakufu wholly dependent upon powerful daimyo to prop up their withering government.

Rival daimyo holding long-term grudges and engaging in massive feuds was a common feature of Sengoku Jidai, but there were two daimyo in particular whose rivalry would become the stuff of legend.

Oda Nobuhide, the famous "Tiger of Owari," passed away unexpectedly in 1551, leaving his branch of the Oda Clan in the hands of his son, a rude young man with little sense of propriety or politics called "The Fool of Owari." Throughout the 1550s, however, Nobunaga would consolidate his rule over the province and even defend it from a terrifying invasion.

After finally conquering his foes in Mino Province, Oda Nobunaga established a new headquarters in the newly-rebuilt Gifu Castle and introduces a new official motto for his regime - Tenka Fubu.

After conquering Mino Province, Oda Nobunaga needed to not only carve a path to the capital itself, but extend his control over a broad section of the Kansai region. 

Beleaguered and surrounded by enemies, Oda Nobunaga nearly fell into a deadly trap while seeking battle against the Asakura Clan of northern Omi Province. Then the Takeda Clan started stabbing westward, seeking to liberate the shogun from the grasp of Nobunaga. The drama would end, however, with Yoshiaki's removal and subsequent exile from Kyoto, thus marking the end of the Ashikaga Shogunate.

Although Uesugi Kenshin had forged an impressive domain along the north coast of Honshu, he never gave up on his dream of making his title of Kanto Kanrei into an office with real power in Japan's fertile east.

The way of the warrior in an age filled with betrayals, backstabbings, and gekokujo was, to put it mildly, kind of complicated.

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Many centuries before their current pop-culture fame, the Ninja of Japan were quietly performing their subtle arts to both secure their confederations' independence and earn some coin. In this episode, we discuss the people behind the legends and sort fact from fantasy.

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Oda Nobunaga seized absolute power in the capital in 1573, but he still had many enemies to contend with in Kansai and beyond.

Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu team up against their mutual enemy the Takeda Clan and Nobunaga wins one of the most decisive victories of his entire career. When facing off against the Uesugi Clan two years later, however,  Nobunaga surprisingly lost a battle against a smaller army.

Oda Nobunaga became the most politically powerful daimyo in all of Japan by the early 1580s. In this episode, we explore his governance, economic management, and personal style.

By 1582, Oda Nobunaga's efforts at unification were gaining momentum as he increasingly consolidated power for himself. Just when it appeared that he couldn't be stopped, he was betrayed by a subordinate and assassinated.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode we explore the many social and economic innovations spearheaded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during his time at the nation's helm.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 stunning results.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.