Samurai Archives Japanese History Podcast

In this episode we move forward in time to World War Two and talk about the documentary screening we attended, MIS - Human Secret Weapon. MIS is a documentary about the US Military Intelligence Service, a top-secret program created by the US government to prepare for war with Japan, comprised of Japanese Americans who acted as translators, interrogators, spies, soldiers, and negotiators in the war against Japan during WWII. Their contribution to the war effort is immeasurable, and were credited by General MacArthur with shortening the war by two years. Mentioned in this podcast: The MIS documentary website: http://mis-film.com/ Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives p

In this episode, the creators of the Samurai Archives Japanese History Page (Samurai-archives.com) talk about the creation of the history website. They talk about why they did it, what they hoped to accomplish, what their expectations were with the website, why the poor design of the old Delphi forum was actually a good thing, and why Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia has utterly destroyed independent scholarship on the internet for all time. Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

In this episode, we talk about the article “Washing off the Dust”: Baths and Bathing in Late Medieval Japan, by Lee Butler. The discussion looks into the cultural and religious aspects of bathing in medieval Japan, as well as the contemporary bath houses and hot springs of modern Japan. Mentioned in this podcast: Butler, Lee. "Washing off the Dust": Baths and Bathing in Late Medieval Japan Monumenta Nipponica Vol. 60, No. 1 (Spring, 2005), pp. 1-41 http://www.jstor.org/stable/25066349 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

In this episode we discuss the structure of the Tokugawa government during the Edo period. We examine if Japan was a unified nation-state, a confederacy, or a feudal system, and how much control Daimyo actually had over their own lands. We also look at how individuals may have identified with their region and Japan as a "country". Mentioned in this podcast: Ravina, Mark. Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan Stanford University Press; 1 edition (August 1, 1999) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804728984 Screech, Timon. Shogun's Painted Culture: Fear and Creativity in the Japanese States, 1760-1829 Reaktion Books (September 1, 2000) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1861890648 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http:/

In part 2 of our interview with Trevor Absolon we continue our discussion on Samurai armor.   Trevor talks about the different approaches to collecting Samurai armor, advice for potential collectors, as well as comments on such things as Kawari Kabuto and armor with “battle damage”, and a whole lot more. Mentioned in this podcast: Toraba Japanese Samurai Armours: http://www.toraba.com Toraba Bookstore: http://www.toraba.com/samurai-armour-books.asp Sengoku Daimyo, Anthony J. Bryant's website: http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/ Bryant, Anthony J. Sekigahara 1600: The Final Struggle for Power Osprey Publishing (September 11, 1995) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1855323958 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/page

In today's podcast, we talk with Trevor Absolon, Japanese armor expert and dealer, author, documentary producer, and owner of Japanese armor website Toraba.com. Trevor talks about how he got into the armor business as well as what we should know about Japanese armor, some of the mythology surrounding Japanese Samurai armor, and advice for anyone interested in starting their own armor collection. Join us for this inside look into the world of Japanese armor. This episode is part one of two. Mentioned in this podcast: Toraba Japanese Samurai Armours: http://www.toraba.com Toraba Bookstore: http://www.toraba.com/samurai-armour-books.asp Sengoku Daimyo, Anthony J. Bryant's website: http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/ Bryant, Anthony J. Sekigahara 1600: The Final Struggle for Power Osprey Publishing (September 11, 1995) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1855323958 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samu

In this episode, Travis discusses his experience as an intern at the Smithsonian Institute's Freer/Sackler Galleries in the Edo period book digitization program over the summer of 2011. He talks about the digitization process, as well as about the books and their binding and production, as well as why Japan never really got into using movable type in the printing process. He also reveals a little about what it's like in the Smithsonian's top-secret underground storage facilities. But not too much. The Digitization Project description page: http://www.asia.si.edu/research/curatorial/pulvererInterns.asp The Freer/Sackler Gallery Website: http://www.asia.si.edu/ Ikegami, Eiko. Bonds of Civility Cambridge University Press (February 28, 2005) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0521601150 Screech, Timon. Sex and the Floating World Reaktion Books; Second Edition edition (November 15, 2009) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1861894325 Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions of Japan Website: http://www.bowdo

In this episode, your hosts examine the development of fiat and commodity currencies in Ancient Japan and the strategies used by the ruling class to encourage the distribution of coinage, as well as methods used by the ruling class to generate wealth. Mentioned in this podcast: Kobata Atsushi. Coinage from the Kamakura Period through the Edo Period.Acta Asiatica 21 (1971). pp98-108. Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

In this episode we finish off our battle of Nagashino series with an interview and Q&A with Nate Ledbetter, author of "Samurai as Commander: The Battle of Nagashino (1575) and the Military Decision-Making Process". The focus of our interview today is the battle itself. Mentioned in this podcast: Higuchi Takaharu. Karyoku no Tairyô Tônyû o Kyodai na Senryoku Toshite Katsuyô. Nagashino no Tatakai. Tokyo: Gakken Publishing, 2010. Print. Pp 72-77. Higuchi Takaharu. Saigo ni Ketteida wo Ataeta Kiba Gundan ha Sonzai Shita!Nagashino no Tatakai. Tokyo: Gakken Publishing, 2010. Print. Pp. 66-71. Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast

In this episode, Nate gives a narrative of the events of the battle of Nagashino, and his analysis of what happened on the battlefield. Find out how the battlefield was set up, troops arrayed, and how the battle went down in the 5th month of 1575. Mentioned in this podcast: Elisonas, J. and Lamers, J. The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga BRILL (June 22, 2011) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/9004201629 Sadler, A.L. Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Ieyasu Tuttle Publishing (July 10, 2009) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/4805310421 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistor

This episode we interview Nate about using the US Military’s Military Decision Making Process as a tool to analyze the battle of Nagashino and other sengoku period battles. Mentioned in this podcast: Lamers, Jeroen. Japonius Tyrannus: The Japanese Warlord Oda Nobunaga Reconsidered Hotei Publishing (November 2001) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/9074822223 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

If you’ve ever wondered what the process is behind historical research, here’s your chance to find out. Your hosts talk about different methodologies of historical research and analysis, and the pros and cons of each in looking at Japanese history.  Mentioned in this podcast: Grossberg, Kenneth. Japan's Renaissance - The Politics of the Muromachi Bakufu Cornell University, New York, 2001http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1885445083 Hall, John W. Government and Local Power in Japan 500-1700: A Study Based on Bizen Province ACLS Humanities E-Book, August 1, 2008http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/1597405957 Kerr, George. Okinawa: The History of an Island People Tuttle Publishing; Revised edition (October 1, 2000) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804820872 Sadler, A.L. Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Ieyasu Tuttle Publishing (July 10, 2009) http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/4805310421 Sansom, George. A History of Japan to 1334 Stanford University Press; 1 edition (June 1, 1958) ht

In January 2012 Nate presented his paper, "Samurai as Commander: The Battle of Nagashino (1575) and the Military Decision-Making Process" at the Japan Studies Association conference, where he re-examines the battle of Nagashino, taking into account everything that a modern military analyst would examine, challenging the conventional story of what happened on the battlefield in 1575. Convention has it that Oda Nobunaga lined up 3,000 gunners behind palisades, and cut down each advancing wave of the Takeda cavalry, winning both the battle and firmly establishing guns as the new method of warfare in japan. Nate challenges these notions and more . This is the audio of his presentation. Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com

For part 3 of our JSA coverage, Chris, Nate, Travis, and guest host Alison Rapp continue their roundtable discussion of the 18th annual Japan Studies Association conference held in Honolulu, Hawaii on the Hawaii Tokai International College campus in January, 2012. Follow Alison Rapp on Twitter: @mnemosynekurai Presentations mentioned: The Impact of Internationalization of Minority Language Protectionin Japan: Insights for Ainu from Europe - Theresa Savage, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. Reforms in Japan's Criminal Justice System - Philip Reichel, University of Northern Colorado. Terrible Knowledge: Using Japanese Anime to Teach WWII without Traumatizing Students - Mara Miller, Independent Scholar. What Anime Is... And What Anime Can Teach Media Educators About the Politics of Viewing Anime- Lien Fan Shen, University of Utah. Mentioned in this Podcast: Barefoot Gen: http://amzn.to/wc1Sdi Grave of Fireflies: http://amzn.to/zdXKNC Mechademia http://mechademia.org/ Support this podcast: Shop Amazo

In part 2 of our Japan Studies Association conference coverage, Nate and Alison talk about their presentations, "Samurai as Commander: The Battle of Nagashino (1575) and the Military Decision-Making Process" and "Speech We Hate: An Argument for the Cessation of International Pressure on Japan to Strengthen its Anti-Child Pornography Laws" respectively, as well as discuss preparing for and presenting at academic conferences. Follow Alison Rapp on Twitter: @mnemosynekurai Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com

In this episode, Chris, Nate, Travis, and guest host Alison Rapp have a roundtable discussion about the 18th annual Japan Studies Association conference held in Honolulu, Hawaii on the Hawaii Tokai International College campus. This episode is part one of three, and topics include the "soft power" of Hello Kitty, economic theories of roving bandits and their applicability to 16th century Japan, the give and take between Japan and China vis a vis Chinese museum exhibits, and more. Follow Alison Rapp on Twitter: @mnemosynekurai Presentations mentioned: Japan's Cute-Cool as Global Wink - Dr. Christine Yano, University of Hawaii at Manoa. The Politics of War Memory in Sino-Japanese Relations: Negotiating the Contents of War Exhibitions - Karl Gustafsson, Lund University. Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Roving Bandits: Are the Farmers Really Safe? - Arthur "Trey" Fleisher, Metropolitan State College of Denver. Singing Sustenance: An Ethnographic Account of Village Songs and Rural Sustenance in Kyushu, Japan - Eid-Ul

This episode Travis talks about a conference he attended in October 2011 titled "Utopias and the Japanese Imaginary". Travis presented his paper on Hokusai's "Eight Views of Okinawa", a collection of eight woodblock prints done by Hokusai, who had never actually been to Okinawa. He discusses why Hokusai chose to do a collection of prints on Okinawa, despite never having been there, what resources he used, and why. Follow Travis on Twitter: @toranosukev Mentioned in this podcast: Izumisaki Bus station: https://plus.google.com/108293617575237683045/about?gl=US&hl=en-US Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies: http://www.international.ucla.edu/japan/ Utopias and the Japanese Imaginary Conference: http://www.international.ucla.edu/calendar/showevent.asp?eventid=9022 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @Samur

During the Edo period, tales of revenge taken from events of the day inspired artists, play writes, and entertainers alike, and developed into an entire genre of popular culture which we examine in this podcast. Mentioned in this podcast: The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/B0002W4TOO Kabuki 21 All about Japan's traditional Theatre Art of Kabuki:  http://www.kabuki21.com/ Benten Kozo: http://www.kabuki21.com/benten_kozo.php Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi: http://www.kabuki21.com/ageya.php Sukeroku: http://www.kabuki21.com/sukeroku.php Tengajaya: http://www.kabuki21.com/tengajaya.php Shively, D.H. Bakufu Vs. Kabuki Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3/4 (Dec., 1955), pp. 326-356  http://www.jstor.org/pss/2718437 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter

Until Kataki-Uchi, or blood revenge, was outlawed by the Meiji government in 1873, it had a long history in Japan. But it wasn't until the Edo period where, in a move possibly unique to Japan, it became highly regulated, and laws, requirements, and restrictions were put into place to regulate vengeance. In this episode we talk about how and why revenge became regulated, and what the requirements were for someone who wanted to apply for a "license to kill" in order to take vengeance on someone who had wronged them. Mentioned in this podcast: Mills, D.E. Kataki-Uchi: The Practice of Blood-Revenge in Pre-Modern Japan Modern Asian Studies Vol. 10, No. 4 (1976), pp. 525-542 http://www.jstor.org/pss/311761 Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http

In part 2 of our “14 Japanese Movies You Should See” podcast, we present our top 2 choices, as well as our honorable mentions. Mentioned in this podcast: Flickchart: http://www.flickchart.com Chris's Flickchart: http://www.flickchart.com/kuuzo Travis's Flickchart: http://www.flickchart.com/Toranosuke Supercar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTOflOgbsBg Ulfuls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teGJw2rD0y8 The Yakuza Film Rundown: http://www.yakuzafilm.com Support this podcast: Shop Amazon.com, suport the podcast: http://amzn.to/wnDX2j Samurai Archives Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20 Samurai Archives Shop (T-Shirts, etc) http://www.cafepress.com/samuraiarchives Contact Us: Twitter @SamuraiArchives https://twitter.com/#!/samuraiarchives Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Archives/104533213984 Samurai Archives podcast blog: http://www.samuraipodcast.com Samurai Archives Forum: http://www.japanhistoryforum.com