Isaac Meyer - Podcast Details

Shows

Criminal Records PodcastWe'll be back in a bit!Hello listeners! Isaac is entering final paper grading/rec letter writing season on top of planning an international exchange school trip for some of his students in May. I've also got plans to visit family on the east coast this month. Instead of rushing out episodes to cover the time we'll be too busy to record, we decided to hit pause on Criminal Records Podcast for a month. If you're a patron, we've paused billing for the month of May so you won't be hit with charges for content we're not putting out. We'll be back in J...2024-05-0300 min

Criminal Records PodcastThe YakuzaWe're out of the country for a family memorial service and didn't have time to record a Criminal Records episode for the week. But that doesn't mean we're out of crime content! This week, we've cleaned up and cut together some of Isaac's very, very old History of Japan audio to bring you the history of Japanese organized crime.2024-02-221h 01

History of JapanEpisode 498 - Final Trip ThoughtsOnce again, Isaac underestimates how many episodes it will take to cover something, and so one more time, we're talking travel in Japan! Show notes here.2023-09-0134 min

Criminal Records PodcastReynard the FoxWe're exploring the history of crime fiction with Reynard, a rascal whose exploits are definitely not the sort of behavior you'd expect from a cute talking fox today. How did our vulpine antihero go from a murderous rapist to a cuddly kids' character? Why did Walt Disney keep trying to make a movie about one of fiction's nastiest criminals? And how long is Isaac willing to listen to descriptions of medieval butt jokes before he begs Demetria to wrap up this episode? Content note: This episode is marked explicit for discussions of fictional sex, violence, animal deaths...2023-02-091h 08

Criminal Records PodcastRoy Olmstead, the Gentleman BootleggerWhen Washington State went dry, one baby-faced cop decided to start moonlighting as a bootlegger. His alcohol empire involved crooked mayors, bootlegging conventions, airplane engines strapped to boats, and a conspiracy theory about secret messages for rum-runners hidden inside children's bedtime stories. S.A. Chant generously stepped up to guest while Isaac's out sick this week. I highly recommend checking out their work! S.A. Chant on Twitter Buy Peter Darling, Coffee Boy, or Caroline's Heart on Amazon Sources and show notes here Support the show on Patreon 2022-10-061h 11

Homeopathy for MommiesLatest Research Updates for Homeoprophylaxis – Interview with Dr. Isaac Golden – Part 2This week on Homeopathy for Mommies, Sue Meyer sits down with Dr. Isaac Golden for another talk about Homeoprophylaxis and in this part 2 episode they discuss all of Dr. Golden’s recent research and finding in homeoprophylaxis, especially during epidemics. Dr. Golden is a world authority on homoeoprophylaxis – the use of homoeopathic medicines for specific disease prevention, and has undertaken the world’s largest long-term study of parents using such a program. A few links mentioned: Dr. Isaac Golden’s website: https://www.homstudy.net/ The Potential Value of Homoeoprophylaxis in Endemic...2022-08-3053 min

Homeopathy for MommiesAnswering Your Questions about Homeoprophylaxis – Interview with Dr Isaac Golden – Part 1This week on Homeopathy for Mommies, Sue Meyer sits down with Dr. Isaac Golden to talk about Homeoprophylaxis. Dr. Golden is a world authority on homeoprophylaxis – the use of homeopathic medicines for specific disease prevention, and has undertaken the world’s largest long-term study of parents using such a program. Sue asks him many of the questions that her audience has sent in over the years about homeoprophylaxis and we get the final answers that everyone has been waiting for! This is such a full episode that Sue is going to have Dr. Golden back for a part 2 in a few...2022-08-131h 05

History of JapanEpisode 411 - If You Can't Do the Time...This week, we're taking a quick detour into Isaac trolling fans of Michel Foucault-er, the Edo period criminal justice system. How did this system operate, and what considerations are responsible for its approach to justice? Show notes here.2021-10-2233 min

History of JapanEpisode 410 - A Man of His TimesThis week: Isaac spends 30 minutes unpacking the 400+ page ramblings of a cranky retiree who died about 200 years ago, but whose polemics against his own society have a remarkable amount to teach us about one of the most important moments in Japanese history. Show notes here.2021-10-1532 min

Criminal Records PodcastNo episode this weekSorry folks, Isaac is in the middle of a covid scheduling shakeup and Demetria is sick. We should have a new episode for you next week!2021-09-3000 min

History of JapanEpisode 388 - The First of UsWe're trapped in a loop this week as Isaac talks about another Isaac: specifically, Isaac Titsingh, a member of the Dutch trade station at Nagasaki and one of the famous European interpreters of Japanese history and culture to the West. Show notes here.2021-04-3036 min

Criminal Records PodcastNo episode this weekDemetria and Isaac are in the middle of a move, and we don't have things set up to record like we normally would! See you in two weeks as we resume our regularly scheduled programming.2021-03-3100 min

Criminal Records PodcastSabbatai ZeviIsaac tells a story about Judaism’s weirdest would-be messiah. Demetria adds ambiance by constantly arguing with him. This is the story of Sabbatai Zevi, whose quest to save the Jewish people turned him into a dangerous liability. Show notes and sources at this link 2020-10-221h 03

History of JapanEpisode 355 - Tales of Moonlight and RainThis week, we're talking about one of Japan's most famous collections of supernatural tales, the fantastic Ugetsu Monogatari (Tales of Moonlight and Rain) from 1776. Show notes here.2020-09-1134 min

Criminal Records PodcastAaron BurrAs we gear up for one of America’s most momentous presidential elections, we look back on the man so bad at politics that he changed the way our country's elections worked forever. Meet Aaron Burr, the guy who caused so much chaos that America not only had to amend its own constitution to stop his shenanigans, it had to set its legal definition of treason after he attempted to create a new country just to rule it. Hamilton fans, get ready for the wild story of what happened after the musical ended. Politics junkies, enjoy the story of th...2020-09-101h 02

History of JapanEpisode 354 - Elementary, My Dear Okamoto!This week, we're talking about popular literature, with a specific focus on one of Japan's most famous pieces of detective fiction -- the Hanshichi Torimonocho. Show notes here.2020-09-0435 min

History of JapanEpisode 353 - The Rising Sun Will Come to Us From Heaven, Part 5This week, we wrap up our history of Christianity in Japan with a look at the Occupation and Postwar Eras -- and with some final thoughts on what it means to be a part of a faith viewed as "outside" the mainstream of the nation. Show notes here.2020-08-2834 min

Criminal Records PodcastLynching in AmericaThis week, we're joined by Nikki Brueggeman for a discussion of two horrific hate crimes in early 20th century America. As we discuss the deaths of Mary Turner and Jesse Washington, we look at the way the NAACP worked to publicize the horrific injustice of lynchings, the reason we tell these stories with a focus on the victims first, and the way modern oral historians like Nikki are continuing the work of documenting Black stories. Content note: This episode contains descriptions of two hate crimes against Black Americans. We talk about the intense violence perpetuated against them...2020-08-2753 min

History of JapanEpisode 352 - The Rising Sun Will Come to Us From Heaven, Part 4This week, we'll cover the striving of Japanese Christians to be accepted as genuine patriots by the government during the pre-war era. This striving will lead to closer and closer ties between the state and religion; it will also invite danger once we get into the war years. Show notes here.2020-08-2137 min

History of JapanEpisode 351 - The Rising Sun Will Come to Us From Heaven, Part 3This week, we're going to talk about the heyday of Japanese Christianity during the Imperial era: the 1870s and 1880s, when the church, finally free of government restriction, began to grow. But behind that growth lurked a dangerous reality about the religion's relationship with the state. Show notes here.2020-08-1436 min

Criminal Records PodcastThe Aqua Tofana PoisoningsThis Italian family's secret recipe requires a special ingredient: a fatal dose of arsenic. Join us for a story of murder most foul, corrupt priests, saleswomen with pockets full of poison, secret cabal of witches moving through European courts, a ceiling alligator, and Santa Claus's special bone juice. Show notes and sources at this link 2020-08-1356 min

History of JapanEpisode 350 - The Rising Sun Will Come to Us From Heaven, Part 2This week, we're talking about Christianity during the Bakumatsu Period -- the era that saw the forced opening of Japan and the collapse of samurai government. How did debates around Christianity figure in to this turbulent time in Japanese history? Show notes here.2020-08-0734 min

History of JapanEpisode 349 - The Rising Sun Will Come to Us From Heaven, Part 1This week, we're turning our attention to Christianity in Japan after the "Christian Century." Despite its status as a minority religion in Japan, Christianity has had a major historical impact on the country. How did this happen? We'll start this week by looking at the Christian persecutions which destroyed the communities built by European missionaries in the 1500s. Show notes here.2020-07-3137 min

Criminal Records PodcastPhryneDid an ancient Greek party girl get off on a capital charge because she flashed the judge? Or was this story just an excuse for artists to get away with painting bare breasts? This week, we dig into trial records, archeological evidence, and ancient gossip to try to get a sense of the woman behind the legend. Content note: This episode is about a historical figure who may or may not have been a sex worker. Some of the sources we quote from translate her profession as “prostitute”–academic translations tend to lag a bit behind commonly accept...2020-07-301h 01

History of JapanEpisode 348 - By the Sun and Its BrightnessThis week, we cover the short yet fascinating history of Islam in Japan. What factors led to a connection between the Islamic world and Japan? Who led the efforts to build bridges between the two? And why is the history of this relationship so generally unknown? Show notes here.2020-07-2435 min

History of JapanEpisode 347 - Blackness in Japan, Part 5This week, we wrap up the series with a look at black history during the Occupation and Postwar eras, with some final thoughts on the series as a whole. Show notes here.2020-07-1736 min

Criminal Records PodcastDoc BaggsWe're heading back to the wild west to meet one of America's smoothest criminals. Let Charles "Doc" Baggs teach you the art of stealing from the rich, giving great speeches, and staying one step ahead of the law. What do we learn when we listen to a criminal telling his side of the story reporters? Who shaped our understanding of the moral landscape of the American west? How cool is this dude, seriously? Show notes and sources at this link 2020-07-1658 min

History of JapanEpisode 346 - Blackness in Japan, Part 4This week, we turn our attention to the black experience during the war in the Pacific, and to the fascinating story of the Pacific Movement of the Eastern World. Show notes here 2020-07-1037 min

History of JapanEpisode 345 - Blackness in Japan, Part 3This week, we're talking about political and cultural exchange between black communities and Japan in the 20s and 30s, as well as how one prominent black leader found himself bamboozled by Japan's pro-empire propaganda in the 1930s. Show notes here. 2020-07-0334 min

Criminal Records PodcastRosa ParksYou've heard of Rosa Parks—but do you actually know the full story? This week, we dig into the brutal history of segregation in the United States, the difficult work of activism, and the way black civil rights leaders' stories are often taught as part of a whitewashed narrative that minimizes their agency and fails to engage with their actual political views. CONTENT NOTE: A lot of the advocacy work that Rosa Parks and other activists we discuss in this episode took on involves attempting to get justice for acts of extreme violence, including sexual violence, against bl...2020-07-021h 11

History of JapanEpisode 344 - Blackness in Japan, Part 2This week, we look at Japan's relationship with blackness and black communities in the wake of the Meiji Restoration, and at the beginnings of a movement among black people to make Japan into a champion of non-white peoples. Note: this episode includes some language that may be considered dated or offensive (though no use of slurs). Show notes here. 2020-06-2638 min

History of JapanEpisode 343 - Blackness in Japan, Part 1This week, we're beginning an overview of black history in Japan with a focus on the Sengoku and Edo eras, and especially the fascinating tale of Yasuke. What sources do we have for this moment of cultural contact? Show notes here.2020-06-1935 min

Criminal Records PodcastThe Stonewall RiotsIt's Pride month, and you know what that means: It's time for a deep dive into the structural oppression of queer people in America, the exploitative underbelly of New York's mob-owned gay bars, and the night those tensions boiled over in 1969. What exactly was banned by sodomy laws and other laws used to target queer New Yorkers? Why was the mafia paying the police to keep gay bars open? And what was the movement that came out of Stonewall fighting for on the streets and in the courts? Show notes, sources, and places to donate at the...2020-06-181h 15

History of JapanEpisode 342 - The Other OlympicsThis week, how did the 1964 Paralympics end up in Japan? Who made it happen? And why does 1964 represent an important moment in the history of disability sports in Japan? Show notes here.2020-06-1236 min

History of JapanEpisode 341 - The Femme FataleThis week, we're focusing on the story of Ono no Komachi, a mysterious poet from the 800s whose poems were used to construct a fictional persona entirely separate from who she actually was. How did this happen? Why does it matter? And what can we learn from telling the history of a made up character? Show notes here.2020-06-0535 min

Criminal Records PodcastWilliam Calley (The My Lai Massacre)This week, we cover one of the most shameful war crimes in American history--and the shockingly light sentence of the only man successfully convicted for it. What happens when business tactics are applied to warfare? Why did it take so long for William Calley's crimes to come to light? And why did so many Americans, including the president, believe he was justified in murdering hundreds of civilians? Content notes: This episode is about a war crime trial involving firing on unarmed civilians, mass murder including the murder of children, and sexual assault. We don't go into gory...2020-06-041h 02

History of JapanEpisode 340 - The Spy Who Came in from the ColdThis week, we're covering the career of one of modern Japan's spymasters: Akashi Motojiro, who attempted to build an intelligence network in Russia during the Russo-Japanese War. Why was he given this task? Did he succeed? And what lessons does his career offer in terms of the wider arc of modern Japanese history? Show notes here.2020-05-2936 min

History of JapanEpisode 339 - Wedding BellsMawwiage is whut bwings us togethah, today! Today we're talking about the history of marriage as an institution in Japan. How has it changed and evolved? What customs and practices have governed it? And what do those practices look like today? Show notes here.2020-05-2237 min

Criminal Records PodcastThe Murder of Magistrate Li YuchangThis week, we bring you a story about a suspicious suicide, a vengeful spirit, and the wrath of the emperor. Why was a ghostly accountant out for revenge? How good was the Qing dynasty CSI team? And how did one of the most regimented legal systems in history end up with such a weird, orientalist misrepresentation in the English-speaking world? Show notes and sources at this link 2020-05-2158 min

History of JapanEpisode 338 - Let the Games Begin, Part 3This week, we finish our look at the Olympic movement in Japan with a series of discussions on the legacy of the 64 games, the Winter Olympics in Japan, and on the prospects for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Show notes here.2020-05-1638 min

History of JapanEpisode 337 - Let the Games Begin, Part 2This week, Japan finally gets the Olympics; but what does that really mean for Japan? What does hosting really accomplish for Japan's image, and how do the games themselves unfold? Show notes here.2020-05-0836 min

Criminal Records PodcastMidhat PashaIn our first court case from the Islamic world, we meet one of history's greatest bureaucrats. Midhat Pasha was fantastic at taking control of troubled territories and coming up with grand new legal ideas, but he wasn't so great at playing politics. Meet the scholar who rose to be the Grand Vizier of an empire before he became the defendant in an unwinnable show trial. Show notes and sources at this link 2020-05-0754 min

History of JapanEpisode 336 - Let the Games Begin, Part 1This week, we're starting a series on the history of the Olympic movement in Japan. How did Japan get involved in the Olympics? What factors drove Japanese participation? And what ever happened to Japan's first attempt to host the Olympic games -- the 1940 Olympics that never were. Show notes here.2020-05-0135 min

History of JapanEpisode 335 - An Autumn AfternoonThis week, we're taking an in-depth look at the life and legacy of Ozu Yasujiro, one of Japan's most famous directors -- despite the fact that it's really only in the last decade and a half of his life that he had the freedom to make the films he wanted to make! Show notes here.2020-04-2436 min

Criminal Records PodcastMary CarletonMeet the woman who claimed to be a German princess, scammed a handful of husbands, palled around with pirates, and played her scandalous self on the stage. Why were so many English men so easy to dupe when a stranger showed up claiming noble heritage? How did a con artist become a celebrity? How much do we really know about Mary as a person, and how much did this self-made woman construct herself as a character? Show notes and sources at this link 2020-04-2351 min

History of JapanEpisode 334 - The Spanish Flu in JapanThis week, we're talking over Japan's response to one of the greatest public health crises of the 20th century: the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19. What strategies did the government put in place to try and counter the flu, how was it treated, and what was it like for the doctors on the front lines fighting to save their patients? Show notes here.2020-04-1741 min

History of JapanEpisode 333 - The OkuThis week, we tackle one of our more unique subjects. It's time to talk about an institution so secretive that most of its records were almost certainly destroyed to keep them away from prying eyes. No, it's not some secret ninja clan: it's the harem, or Oku, of the Tokugawa shoguns. Show notes here.2020-04-1043 min

Criminal Records Podcast"Typhoid" Mary MallonThis week, we're covering the strange, sad case of Mary Mallon, one of America's most notorious killers—who never technically committed a crime. When is it illegal to spread a disease? Why did the Health Department have the power to detain people indefinitely? Does Mary deserve her infamy, or was she a victim of a system that was stacked against her from the start? Content note: This is mostly about an epidemic of typhoid fever, but it will also touch on other disease outbreaks and US laws around quarantining people and charging people for spreading diseases. We'll be...2020-04-0958 min

History of JapanEpisode 332 - Lady KasugaThis week, we tackle the life of one of Japan's most interesting women, who rose from obscure origins to become a major power player in the early Tokugawa period: Saito Fuku, better known as Lady Kasuga. Show notes here.2020-04-0338 min

History of JapanEpisode 331 - In the Beginning, Woman was the Sun, Part 3This week we wrap this series up with a look at the changes in the feminist movement during the US Occupation of Japan, and with a look at the postwar careers of Ichikawa Fusae and Hiratsuka Raicho. Show notes here.2020-03-2734 min

Criminal Records Podcast"Soapy" SmithThis week, Isaac and Demetria go back to the Wild West for our very first outlaw of the American frontier. There's rootin', there's tootin', there's plenty of shootin', and also a truly astonishing amount of...soap? Show notes, photos, and sources at this link (Note: This page contains a photograph of a dead body)2020-03-2646 min

History of JapanEpisode 330 - In the Beginning, Woman was the Sun, Part 2This week, we continue our exploration of the life of Hiratsuka Raicho, and add a new character to our cast: Ichikawa Fusae. How did these two women navigate the tricky waters of 1920s and 1930s Japanese politics, and what obstacles did they encounter along the way? Show notes here.2020-03-2036 min

History of JapanEpisode 329 - In the Beginning, Woman Was the Sun, Part 1This week, we start off our first ever twinned biography with a look at the early career of one of Japan's pioneering feminists: Hiratsuka Raicho. 2020-03-1335 min

Criminal Records PodcastWat TylerDisease! Rebellion! Weeb stuff! This week, we have it all, as we journey back to Wat Tyler's rebellion. Show notes and corrections at this link - We were on a lot of cold medicine while recording and made some mistakes, apologies!2020-03-121h 03

History of JapanEpisode 328 - What a Strange Thing!This week, we're talking about my absolute favorite poet in the history of forever: Kobayashi Issa. I promise he's great, and I don't just love him for the poop jokes. Show notes here.2020-03-0635 min

History of JapanEpisode 327 - The Lockheed Scandal, Part 2This week: what happens once the scandal goes public, and what does all this say about postwar Japan more generally? Show notes here.2020-02-2836 min

Criminal Records PodcastKing Charles I of EnglandThis week, Isaac and Demetria talk about their first regicide. It's time for the trial and execution of King Charles I -- who denies that you have any legitimacy to listen to this podcast and proclaims that only God has the right to press the play button. Link to the show notes 2020-02-271h 00

History of JapanEpisode 326 - The Lockheed Scandal, Part 1This week, we take a look at one of postwar Japan's most famous political scandals, and how the efforts of one company to revive its fortunes ended up roping in everyone from shadowy underworld figures to the Prime Minister of Japan himself. Show notes here.2020-02-2133 min

History of JapanEpisode 325 - The Teijin Scandal, Part 2This week, tensions within Japanese society explode as a simple stock purchase turns into a knock-down, drag out fight over corruption in the Japanese state. Show notes here.2020-02-1432 min

Criminal Records PodcastDr. Amy BishopThis week, Isaac and Demetria talk about a workplace mass shooting and its relationship to employment in America. Expect a conversation ranging from gun regulation to the tenure system and beyond. (Content note: This episode contains discussion of a mass shooting in a workplace, an attempted bombing, and a shooting in a private home) Show notes and sources 2020-02-131h 07

History of JapanEpisode 324 - The Teijin Scandal, Part 1This week, we tackle a political scandal from 1930s Japan to dig deeper into the question: just why did Japan's system of parliamentary government and liberal democracy, which seemed to be flourishing in the 1920s, fall apart so quickly in the 1930s? Show notes here.2020-02-0731 min

History of JapanEpisode 323 - Musui's StoryThis week, we're discussing the autobiography of a troublemaking, low-ranking samurai whose life didn't reshape Japan, but whose tale can tell us a lot about how our image of the samurai class matched up with reality. Show notes here.2020-01-3132 min

Criminal Records PodcastDavid LaneThis week, Isaac and Demetria discuss the white nationalist murderer David Lane, who was inspired to join a radical neo-Nazi group called the Order which went on a year long crime spree up and down the West Coast in 1984-85. 2020-01-3051 min

History of JapanEpisode 322 - The HeistThis week, we cover one of Japan's great unsolved crimes: the 300 million yen robbery. How did one man steal so much cash? Why couldn't the police find him? And why are we still talking about it today? Show notes here. 2020-01-2429 min

History of JapanEpisode 321 - The RegentThis week, take a deep dive with me into the life of one of the regents of the Heian Era, Fujiwara no Tadahira, as we try and figure out just what it looked like to try and rule over Heian Japan on a day to day level. Show notes here.2020-01-1737 min

History of JapanEpisode 320 - Minamata, Part 2As the 1950s become the 1960s, the truth of Chisso's failure to address its problems comes out thanks to a new round of poisoning on the other side of Japan. The people of Minamata seek justice for themselves. Show notes here.2020-01-1032 min

History of JapanEpisode 319 - Minamata, Part 1This week, we're beginning a deep dive into the history of one of the most famous cases of environmental poisoning in Japanese history: Minamata disease. How did a chemical factory end up poisoning the people of a small town in rural Japan for years before anyone found out? And why, once it became clear that they were being poisoned, did it take so long for anything to come of it? Show notes here.2020-01-0332 min

Criminal Records PodcastMuranishi TooruDemetria and Isaac continue their deep dive into the world of obscenity laws with a look at one of Japan's most infamous bad boys of porn, the AV director Muranishi Tooru. 2020-01-0257 min

Criminal Records PodcastLenny BruceThis week (and somewhat late), Isaac and Demetria talk about the trials (literally) and tribulations of the great American comedian Lenny Bruce, whose boundary-pushing comedy landed him in hot water on charges of obscenity around the United States. Show notes are linked here (Content note: While there's no visual material at the link that is sexual or shocking, some of the embedded content includes comedy sets by Bruce that listeners may find disturbing in their discussion of race and sexuality)2019-12-2356 min

History of JapanEpisode 318 - Lone Wolf and CubThis week, we're talking about one of the greatest cheesy samurai film franchises of all time. Just how did a series of films about one man and his baby mowing down legions of opponents become a pop culture legend? The story of how Lone Wolf and Cub became one of the greatest samurai film franchises ever is our final episode of 2019. Show notes here.2019-12-2036 min

History of JapanEpisode 317 - Separate WaysThis week, we explore the career of the first woman to make a big splash in modern Japanese literature: Higuchi Ichiyo. We'll talk about her story, her writing, her legacy, and her tragically short career -- and I'll spend a lot of time talking about how much I hate Mori Ogai! Show notes here.2019-12-1334 min

History of JapanEpisode 316 - The EntrepreneurThis week, it's time to talk backroom deals and business trickery, because we're chronicling the rise of Mitsubishi and the rags to riches story of its founder Iwasaki Yataro. Show notes here.2019-12-0636 min

History of JapanEpisode 315 - The World Cast AsideThis week, we trace the evolution of Noh theater over the course of the careers of its famous founders: the father-son acting duo Kan'ami and Zeami. Show notes: http://isaacmeyer.net/2019/11/episode-315-the-world-cast-aside/2019-11-2235 min

History of JapanEpisode 314 - Responsibility, Accountability, and the Imperial ThroneSince Japan just got itself a new emperor, this is a good time to go back and look at an incident from the enthronement of the last emperor -- and at a time where one local politician's comment at a council meeting ignited a national firestorm which ended with him being shot. Show notes here: http://isaacmeyer.net/2019/11/episode-314-resp…-imperial-throne/2019-11-1535 min

History of JapanEpisode 313 - The Doctor is InThis week, we're going to zoom in on the kind of life that doesn't usually make the big picture history of Japan. It's time to look at the story of a single medical student during the final years of the Tokugawa era and explore everything from his education to his drinking habit, and to ask ourselves just what we can learn from such a focused examination of the past. Show notes here.2019-11-0833 min

History of JapanEpisode 312 - Freedom and People's Rights, Part 3This week, we look at the violent incidents that eventually undermined the Freedom and People's Rights Movement, and the legacies of the movement for Japan today.2019-11-0135 min

History of JapanEpisode 311 - Freedom and People's Rights, Part 2How do you talk about a movement without clear leaders? By breaking down its different levels. Plus, a look at how things came to a head between the Freedom and People's Rights Movement and the government.2019-10-2532 min

History of JapanEpisode 310 - Freedom and People's Rights, Part 1This week, we're starting a look at the Jiyu Minken Undo -- the Freedom and People's Rights Movement -- by talking a bit about its ideological origins as well as some of the movement's early leaders.2019-10-1835 min

History of JapanEpisode 309 - Flying HighThis week: the battle against the construction of a new international airport in Chiba prefecture. Who fought against the airport, why, and how did it all go so very wrong?2019-10-1139 min

History of JapanEpisode 308 - The Prisoners of Nanbu, Part 3This week, the crew of the Breskens is freed at last. Plus some final thoughts on Tokugawa diplomacy.2019-10-0435 min

History of JapanEpisode 307 - The Prisoners of Nanbu, Part 2The Breskens crew arrive in Edo, with the question of how they are to be treated looming over them. At the same time, another group of very different Europeans arrive there as well. This week, we'll talk about the interwoven fates of both groups, and what they tell us about the concerns of the shogunate and Tokugawa Iemitsu. 2019-09-2734 min

Criminal Records PodcastSocratesThis time, Isaac and Demetria go back in time to answer the age old question: if Socrates was such a great philosopher, why couldn't he figure out not to drink all that poison? That plus long digressions about the nature of democracy and medieval theology (of course)!2019-09-261h 03

Decipher SciFiOn Decipher History: The Last Samurai w/ Isaac MeyerA small taste of our new episode of Decipher History to remind you to subscribe to the new show. This week featuring our new friend Isaac Meyer from The History of Japan Podcast! Support the show!2019-09-0303 min

Decipher HistoryThe Last Samurai: Bushido, European influence, and howizters w/ Isaac MeyerIsaac Meyer’s History of Japan Podcast!! Japan post-isolation Tokugawa rule. Can historical economics be interesting? The introduction of tightly-controlled Dutch trade in Japan preceeding the Meiji restoration. Western opposition. Fighting over western presence and figuring out how much Western influence Japan can tolerate while still being Japanese. The return of the Emperor. Europeans in Japan Recognizing the relative militrary reputations of Britain, France, Germany, and the US at the time. French military advisors in irl Japan during the Meiji restoration. Jules Brunet as the closest real-life analogue to Tom Cruise’s Algren. Spheres of infl...2019-09-031h 17

Criminal Records PodcastSakakibara Seito/"Boy A"This week, Isaac and Demetria discuss the gruesome series of child murders that took place in Kobe in 1997, and the circumstances surrounding the eventual capture and trial of the killer -- a 14 year old high school boy. 2019-08-1550 min

Criminal Records PodcastOlympe de GougesThis week, Isaac and Demetria unpack the career of the firebrand revolutionary playwright Olympe de Gouges. Along the way, we tackle such important questions as: what was the French Revolution about? What even is feminism? And why is Isaac's French accent so bad?2019-08-011h 02

Criminal Records PodcastNannie DossThis week, Demetria and Isaac investigate the serial killer Nannie Doss, whose husbands kept mysteriously dying after eating things she'd prepared. Surely that must be some sort of unfortunate coincidence! We're releasing this one a day early since the American crowd will be celebrating on July 4th. Watch out for any suspicious pies!2019-07-0342 min

Criminal Records PodcastThe Jews of TrentThis week, Isaac and Demetria discuss an infamous blood libel trial: the story of St. Simon of Trent, and the Jews who were tortured and executed after the city authorities blamed them for the boy's murder.2019-06-2053 min

Criminal Records PodcastThe Chicago Black SoxThis week, Isaac tortures Demetria by forcing her to listen to him talk about baseball. But really, baseball is fun so we should all take joy in her learning about it. Oh also we'll cover one of the biggest sporting scandals in American history or whatever. It's a tale of labor laws, sports gambling, legal shenanigans, and all other things classically American as we all go out to the ball game!2019-04-2542 min

Criminal Records PodcastNarutaki MansukeThis week, Isaac and Demetria make use of a tale of revenge from 1820s Japan to discuss one of the most interesting legal practices we've ever seen: kataki-uchi, the system of legally permitted revenge of Japan's samurai era. Why turn revenge into something akin to getting your license renewed at the DMV? What are the rules? And what can we learn about the nature of justice from thinking about this?2019-04-1145 min

Criminal Records PodcastNiccola Sacco and Bartolomeo VanzettiThis week, Isaac and Demetria investigate the case that grabbed headlines across 1920s America. We'll talk about the intersection of xenophobia, violent anarchism, and the American legal system, and how all of them manifested in a bungled case that remains divisive to this day. Sacco and Vanzetti's letters from prison are available here.2019-03-2846 min

Criminal Records PodcastBenedict ArnoldThis week, Demetria and Isaac tackle America's great traitor! Who was Arnold, and what did his trial for a series of ridiculous charges have to do with his decision to betray his country? 2019-02-2848 min

Criminal Records PodcastMargaret "Mother" ClapThis week, Isaac and Demetria discuss the story of Margaret Clap, proprietor of a coffee house with a big secret. What was a molly house, why was the government prosecuting men for buggery, and why are trial records some of our best surviving documents about gay culture in 1720s England?2019-02-1446 min

Criminal Records PodcastGovinda Prasad MainaliThis week, Isaac and Demetria tackle the case of Govinda Mainali, a Nepalese man accused in Japan of a murder he obviously didn't commit. But obviously he didn't do it, so there's no way he could end up serving 12 years in prison just to make the Japanese government look more efficient at solving crimes than it really is, right?2019-02-0737 min

History of JapanEpisode 271 - You're Going on the ListThis week, we cover the fascinating tale of Sei Shonagon and the Makura no Soushi, or Pillow Book. Why is a collection of anecdotes considered to be one of Japan's greatest literary classics? What mkes the Pillow Book so famous? And why does Isaac love it so very much?2019-01-1234 min

History of JapanEpisode 247 - EdokkoThis week, we're very lucky to have a chance to speak with Mr. Isaac Shapiro. Mr. Shapiro grew up in wartime Japan, and shares his experiences here with us today. You can check out his book, Edokko: Growing Up a Foreigner in Wartime Japan on Amazon!2018-07-0729 min

History of JapanEpisode 162 - Best of Frenemies, Part 8This week, we close out this series with a look at the relationship between South Korea and Japan. Also included; Isaac's patented speed run of South Korean history. Enjoy!2016-08-2728 min