Claim OwnershipA History of Japan
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© 2025 Justin Hebert
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A history of the people of Japan, from the prehistoric Jomon period to the modern era. WARNING: This podcast occasionally touches on subjects of human sexuality, suicide, violence, and torture.
271 Episodes
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Quin Cho's latest book "The Rise of the Kwantung Army" is coming out on September 18. In this special interview episode, we discuss his upcoming book and the role that gekokujo played in Japan's invasion of northeast China. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
We begin 35,000 years ago with the earliest known humans who lived on Japan, the paleolithic hunter-gatherers, followed by the semi-sedentary Jōmon people. Little is known for certain about either group, but I try to construct a basic outline for what their lives would have been like. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
We shift our focus to the far north to the ancient Ainu people who lived on Hokkaido and Sakhalin, then to the far south to the ancient Ryukyuan people who live on Okinawan Islands. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
The Jōmon people were the best at what they did, and what they did was... pottery! The ceramics of ancient Japan are fascinating and they tell an interesting story of a people adapting to a changing world. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
From creating rice and millet agriculture to forging political dynasties, China and Korea went through many important changes during the Jōmon period as well. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
The Jōmon people suffered calamities which caused many of them to abandon their western settlements and relocate to the northeast, leaving Kyushu and western Honshu relatively empty. Enter the Yayoi: the people who brought large-scale agriculture to Japan. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
The story of the biggest hoax in the history of Japanese Archaeology. WARNING: this episode talks about suicide. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
In this bonus episode, we'll explore some of the dinosaurs that were native to Japan millions of years before humans even existed! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Meet the mysterious masked stranger behind the voice, and learn when to expect season 2! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Starting around 1000 BCE, the Yayoi people began emigrating to Japan from the Korean Peninsula. They brought something along with them that would change Japan forever: Rice Agriculture. But did they come as conquerors or friends, and how can we tell? Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
The early Yayoi period was largely egalitarian, with village leaders being chosen on their own merits. By the end of the period, a strict hierarchy emerged between commoners and a hereditary elite. In this episode, we'll explore the broad strokes of how this change came about, and explore the archaeology that informs our understanding. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online ...
As bronze and iron implements gradually made their way to Japan from China, they began to transform the culture of the Yayoi people in some very interesting ways. In this episode, we'll explore those changes and the larger effects on the emerging Yayoi polities as well as Japan as a whole. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
In this episode, the Shang Dynasty falls and the Zhou Dynasty rises to take its place. But being the faction at the top is harder than it looks, and over time the Zhou suffer a gradual decline. However, the political and philosophical ideas which they nurtured continue to influence East Asian thought today. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
War rages across Zhou Dynasty as the former states become kingdoms and set their eyes toward national domination. Ultimately the kingdom of Qin would claim the throne for themselves, thanks in part to the reforms of legalist scholar Shang Yang. After the Qin's collapse, the Han Dynasty would rise from their ashes and rule China for four hundred years. Don't forget to check out the supplemental post for maps, artwork, and a very interesting re-creation of the pigments that originally adorned ...
In this episode, we explore the changes that began to occur in the southern and northern regions of the Korean Peninsula during the Yayoi Period, as well as the impact those changes had on Japan and China. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Global trade is a concept nearly as old as civilization itself. Ancient China utilized trade networks as a means of learning about other cultures, adopting and sharing new ideas, and promoting friendly tributary relations with their neighbors. The Han Dynasty, however, would push trade to its limits, eventually exchanging goods from as far away as western Europe. Check out the supplemental post for a trade map, a roman coin, and the coolest legal tender ever created - knife money! Support th...
Against a backdrop of disunity and warfare, three philosophies would stand the test of time and continue to influence government, religion, and worldviews today. Join me as we explore Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism and the underlying assumptions which supported their adoption in ancient China. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Ancient East Asia was a rich tapestry of various beliefs, customs, religious rituals, and spirituality. In this episode, we explore the various practices of the Yayoi regarding divination, shamanism, and ocean voyages. Check out the supplemental post for pictures of the Izumo Shrine and Ise Shrine referred to in this episode! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
According to the Records of Wei, a leader emerged at the end of the Yayoi Period who successfully united thirty of Japan's chiefdom under her own leadership. Who was Queen Himiko, and where was her elusive capital of Yamatai located? Check out the supplemental post for a pretty cool statue of Queen Himiko in modern-day Saga prefecture. Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online...
For your listening pleasure, I read excerpts from the Analects, the Tao te Ching, the Han Feizi, and, for good measure, The Art of War. Check out the supplementary post for links to freely available translations of these works online! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
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