Shows
Danny GrunowElectronic Impressions 900 XL with Danny GrunowWelcome to the 900th episode of Electronic Impressions! Enjoy this extended episode with lots of powerful trance tunes. Thanks for all your support over the years 2025-01-314h 00
Japan on the RecordConstitutional Revision in Post-Abe Japan on the Record with Dr. Helen Hardacre (Harvard)In this episode, Dr. Helen Hardacre (Harvard) discusses the impacts of Prime Minister Abe's resignation on the future of the constitutional revision debate in Japan, explaining why constitutional revision was such an important policy goal for Abe and why it was always unlikely to succeed.2020-09-1925 minJapan on the RecordDismantling the Ivory Tower in Asian Studies on the Record with Dr. Christine Yano (Hawaii)In this episode, AAS President Dr. Christine Yano (Hawaii) talks about how recent developments including COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have presented an opportunity for scholars to tear down the traditional hierarchies and rigid structures that have propped up the Ivory Tower for so long and to rebuild a new academic environment.2020-09-1219 minJapan on the RecordSeptember School Enrollment in Japan on the Record with Dr. Masako Egawa (Hitotsubashi)In this episode, Dr. Masako Egawa (Hitotsubashi) discusses her involvement in debates at the University of Tokyo about changing the start of the Japanese school year to September, laying out arguments both for and against adopting the September start date before talking about how COVID-19 has impacted ongoing discussions about September enrollment.2020-08-2816 minJapan on the RecordCOVID-19, 3/11, and Media Credibility in Japan on the Record with Dr. Sonja Petrovic (Melbourne)In this episode, Dr. Sonja Petrovic (Melbourne) details how the 3/11 Tōhoku Triple Disaster in 2011 caused a decline in public trust in media and government information, changed media consumption habits in Japan, and shaped popular reception of the Japanese government response to COVID-19.2020-08-2120 minJapan on the Record#CovidDivorce and Changing Intimacies in Japan on the Record with Dr. Allison Alexy (Michigan)In this episode, Dr. Allison Alexy (Michigan) reacts to news coverage of #CovidDivorce in Japan as the latest example of sensationalist media treatments of Japanese intimacies before outlining how intimate relationship in Japan have changed over the last several years even before COVID-19.2020-08-1415 minJapan on the RecordThe Politics of Public Statues and Monuments in Japan on the Record with Dr. Sven Saaler (Sophia)In this episode, Dr. Sven Saaler (Sophia) responds to recent controversies over public statues by describing the active role statues and monuments play in shaping popular understandings of history, communicating ideas about society to future generations, and even disrupting Japanese diplomatic relations in East Asia. 2020-08-0719 minJapan on the RecordAnpo, Street Protests, and Civil Disobedience in Japan on the Record with Dr. Nick Kapur (Rutgers-Camden)In this episode, Dr. Nick Kapur (Rutgers-Camden) places recent BLM marches into the context of Japan’s longer history of street protests and civil disobedience, highlighting the violent protests opposing the resigning of the controversial US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, or Anpo Treaty, in 1960.2020-07-3117 minJapan on the RecordBlackface, Whitewashing, and Anti-Black Racism in Japan on the Record with Dr. John G. Russell (Gifu University)In this episode, Dr. John G. Russell (Gifu) explains the endurance of Blackface performance in Japan, along with discussing how the Whitewashing of prominent Black Japanese and depictions of Black masculinity in Japanese pop culture reveal racist attitudes towards Blackness, Whiteness, and national belonging.2020-07-2428 minJapan on the Record#BlackInTheIvory in Japan on the Record with Teeka Gray (Indiana), Yasmine Krings (UCLA), Kimberlee Sanders (Harvard), and Dr. Garrett Washington (UMass-Amherst)Read more about the AAS Petition co-authored Dr. Jolyon Thomas, Dr. Levi McLaughlin, Dr. Michelle Wang and Kimberlee Sanders here.2020-07-1846 minJapan on the RecordThe NHK BLM Video and Depictions of Blackness in Japan on the Record with Dr. Reginald Jackson (Michigan)In this episode, Dr. Reginald Jackson (Michigan) places the recent NHK Black Lives Matter video in the context of historical depictions of Blackness dating back to the 16th century, discussing how the video reveals enduring anti-Black attitudes in Japan shaped by these earlier depictions along with reflecting on the racist roots of Japanese studies in the United States. 2020-07-1023 minJapan on the RecordBLM and Black Japanese/Okinawan Matters on the Record with Dr. Mitzi Uehara Carter (FIU)In this episode, Dr. Mitzi Uehara Carter (FIU) calls attention to the discrimination and racism faced by Black Japanese/Okinawans and biracial communities in Japan, noting the solidarity between Black and Okinawan communities and pointing out how signifiers of Blackness differ in Okinawa and the Japanese mainland.2020-07-0326 minJapan on the RecordReggae, Racial Difference, and Representations of Blackness in Japan on the Record with Dr. Marvin Sterling (Indiana)In this episode, Dr. Marvin Sterling (Indiana) discusses the popularity of Reggae music and Black culture in Japan, noting how non-majority Japanese communities embrace Reggae and other representations of Blackness to express their own identities and politics.2020-06-2626 minJapan on the RecordCOVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism in North America on the Record with Dr. Michael Jin (UIC) & Dr. Vivian Shaw (Harvard)Learn more about the AAPI Covid-19 Project by visiting: https://www.aapicovid19.org/2020-06-1931 minJapan on the Record8:46 on the RecordNews articles:
Ayana Wise, "Why We're Marching for Black Lives in Japan" Japan Times
Randiah Camille Green, "Photos from Black Lives Matter March in Osaka with Over 1,000 Protestors" Gaijinpot
Alexandra Hongo, "What's Wrong With NHK's Black Lives Matter Video and Why We Need to Talk About It" Tokyo Weekender
Austin Freeman, "Once Upon a Time...in Azabu Juban" Japan Times
Podcast Episodes:
Kurly in Kansai, "BLM Kansai March & Our Involvement"
Japan Times Deep Dive, Episode 53: "Why Japan Needs Black Lives Matter"
Check out other great podcast content:
Kurly In Kansai
Tokyo Speaks (formerly Raw...2020-06-1208 minJapan on the RecordPopulism in Japan on the Record with Dr. Axel Klein (Duisburg-Essen)Read Dr. Klein's article "Is There Left Populism in Japan? The Case of Reiwa Shinsengumi" in The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus.2020-06-0518 minJapan on the RecordIllegal Drugs in Japan on the Record with Dr. Miriam Kingsberg Kadia (Colorado)For background stories on recent high-profile drug arrests, see:- Sawajiri Erika arrest story: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/11/19/national/crime-legal/actress-erika-sawajiri-allegedly-admits-taking-illegal-drugs-10-years/- Kan a.k.a. GAMI arrest story: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200507/p2a/00m/0na/004000c2020-05-2916 minJapan on the RecordPostal Privatization on the Record with Dr. Patricia Maclachlan (Texas)In this episode, Dr. Patricia Maclachlan (Texas) looks to Japan for lessons on postal privatization, discussing the background of postal privatization in the early 2000s, whether or not it was successful, and how Japan's experiences can be instructive for other countries considering postal reform.2020-05-2218 min
Japan on the RecordReligious Responses to COVID-19 on the Record with Dr. Levi McLaughlin (NC State)In this episode, Dr. Levi McLaughlin (NC State) surveys how Japanese religious groups have responded to the coronavirus pandemic, questioning sensationalist media coverage of Japanese religious groups, and introducing innovative adaptations religious groups have adopted to stay in contact with followers. 2020-05-1517 minJapan on the RecordRefugee Detention in Tokyo on the Record with Dr. David Slater (Sophia)Click here to read Dr. Slater's Japan Times article, "If the Virus Gets In, It Will Spread Like Wildfire."If you would like to learn more about refugee support groups in Japan, click the links for more about the Sophia Refuge Support Group, the UN High Council on Refugees (UNHCR), the Japan Association for Refugees, Ushiku no Kai (Japanese only), and the Provisional Release Association in Japan.2020-05-0818 minJapan on the RecordThe LDP-Kōmeitō Coalition on the Record with Dr. Amy Catalinac (NYU)In this episode, Dr. Amy Catalinac (NYU) provides background for recent news of conflict within the LDP-Kōmeitō coalition, outlining how the electoral reforms of 1994 set the stage for coalition politics in Japan today and allow the small Kōmeitō to exert outsized political influence on the larger LDP.2020-05-0119 minJapan on the RecordAccessibility in Japan on the Record with Mark Bookman (Penn)In this episode, Mark Bookman (Penn) reviews the history of disability in Japan to discuss how the Coronavirus pandemic presents new opportunities for able-bodied individuals to reflect on obstacles to accessibility in Japan and to work together to increase accessibility for all.2020-04-2216 minJapan on the RecordThe Tokyo Sarin Gas Attack on the Record with Dr. Erica Baffelli (Manchester)In this episode, Dr. Erica Baffelli (Manchester) calls attention to the 25th anniversary of the 1995 Tokyo Sarin Gas Attack, discussing how Aum Shinrikyō became violent, what role women played in the group, and how media coverage of the 25th anniversary was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. 2020-04-1516 minJapan on the RecordThe Firebombing of Tokyo on the Record with Dr. David Fedman (UC Irvine)In this episode, Dr. David Fedman (UC Irvine) recalls the history of the firebombing of Tokyo on March 9-10, 1945, discussing media coverage of the recent 75th anniversary, the significance of the bombing within the history of World War II, and ongoing efforts to commemorate the event today.2020-04-1020 minJapan on the RecordCOVID-19 and "Wartime Mobilization" on the Record with Dr. Paul Kreitman (Columbia)In this episode, Dr. Paul Kreitman (Columbia) revisits the history of wartime home front mass mobilization campaigns in Japan, the UK, and the USA, to ask how lessons from this history can be applied to the current COVID-19 pandemic.2020-04-0316 minJapan on the RecordPanic in the Toilet Paper Aisle on the Record with Dr. Eiko Maruko Siniawer (Williams)In this episode, Dr. Eiko Maruko Siniawer (Williams) contextualizes recent toilet paper panics around the world in response to coronavirus by revisiting the history of Japan's earlier toilet paper panic in the 1970s, discussing why people panic over toilet paper and what such panic buying reveals about Japanese society both in the past and today.2020-03-2518 minJapan on the RecordThe "Japanese Secret" of Kakeibo on the Record with Dr. Hillary Maxson (Pacific)In this episode, Dr. Hillary Maxson (Pacific) de-mystifies the "Japanese secret" of saving money using Kakeibo, tracing the history of Kakeibo in Japan and how Kakeibo reveal not only postwar food consumption habits, but also how women shaped everyday life and cuisine in postwar Japan.2020-03-1316 minJapan on the RecordThe Abe Administration on the Record with Dr. David Leheny (Waseda)In this episode, Dr. David Leheny (Waseda) takes a long-term view of the administration of Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, discussing how Abe was able to inspire optimism amongst voters and embrace pop culture to cultivate a popular image that has allowed him to become Japan's longest-serving prime minister.2020-02-2720 minJapan on the RecordShuri Castle on the Record with Dr. Travis Seifman (Tokyo)In this episode, Dr. Travis Seifman (University of Tokyo) discusses the catastrophic destruction of Shuri Castle in Okinawa and the devastating impact of the loss of hundreds of cultural artifacts, along with plans to reconstruct the castle and the unexpected benefits of restoring and replacing lost traditional Okinawan arts and crafts.2020-02-1214 minJapan on the RecordTokyo 2020 on the Record with Dr. Robin Kietlinski (LaGuardia)In this episode, Dr. Robin Kietlinski (LaGuardia CC-CUNY), details how the preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have reshaped Tokyo Bay, outlines the history of landfills in Tokyo Bay, and describes measures the Tokyo government is taking to limit environmental problems. 2020-01-2915 minJapan on the RecordJapanese Defense on the Record with Dr. Richard Samuels (MIT)In this episode, Dr. Richard Samuels (MIT) outlines Japan's current security concerns, touching on the status of the US-Japan alliance, the possibility of a fully nuclear-capable North Korea, and ongoing disputes between Japan and South Korea.2020-01-1517 min
The Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 120 - Dr. Tristan Grunow (Yale)In this concluding episode of the Meiji at 150 Podcast series, Dr. Grunow joins Dr. Hitomi Yoshio (Waseda) to revisit the background and production of the series, to review the state of the field of Japanese studies around the world in 2019 as seen through the podcast, and to rethink the importance of the Restoration today, before discussing the pedagogical and scholarly benefits of podcasting. This episode was recorded live at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan and made possible by the Top Global University Project.2019-08-1400 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 119 - Dr. Xiaowei Zheng (UCSB), Dr. Robert Tierney (Illinois)In this episode, Drs. Zheng and Tierney recount the political discourse of China and Japan at the turn of the 20th century, focusing on the influential translations and political writings of Nakae Chōmin. We discuss Nakae's political writings, his influence on Chinese reformers including Liang Qichao, understandings of "popular rights" and "popular sovereignty" in Japan and China, and their legacy for state-society relations in both countries today.2019-08-0500 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 118 - Dr. Ryosuke Maeda (Hokkaidō)In this episode, Dr. Maeda retraces the process of political centralization during the Meiji period, culminating in the establishment of the Imperial Diet in 1890. We discuss the emergence of national politics, competing political interests at different levels of society, and the impact of Japanese colonialism on national integration along with the idea of a "Long Meiji Restoration." (Transcript here).2019-07-1200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 117 - Dr. Paul Kreitman (Columbia)In this episode, Dr. Krietman uncovers the history of human waste in Tokyo, from early modern nightsoil collection to postwar sewage systems. We discuss the Edo nightsoil economy, impacts of infrastructural development and World War II, and municipal efforts to clean up the city leading up to the 1964 and 2020 Olympic games.2019-06-2800 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 116 - Dr. Rachael Hutchinson (Delaware)In this episode, Dr. Hutchinson traces the origins of many themes in contemporary Japanese video games to the Meiji Period. We discuss continuity in themes of Japanese identity and colonialism from Meiji literature to video games today, place video games into the context of cultural production, review representations of history in video games, and consider ways to use video games in the classroom to teach Japanese culture.
2019-06-2100 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 115 - Dr. Ayelet Zohar (Tel Aviv)In this episode, Dr. Zohar recounts the history of photography in modern Japan, detailing the contributions of Japanese and foreign photographers. We discuss the introduction of photography, the role of photography in the colonization of Hokkaidō, and Dr. Zohar's recent work on representations of colonial memory.2019-06-1400 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 114 - Dr. Aiko Takeuchi-Demirci (Stanford)In this episode, Dr. Takeuchi-Demirci resituates Japan's place in the transnational history of prewar birth control movements through the life and activism of Ishimoto Shizue, known as the Margaret Sanger of Japan. We discuss the relationship between Ishimoto and Sanger, the position of birth control within the prewar feminist movement, Sanger's controversial visit to Japan, and Ishimoto's postwar political activities.2019-06-0700 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 113 - PREVIEW: The Hokkaidō 150 Podcast - Dr. ann-elise lewallen (UCSB)This episode previews a new podcast series called Hokkaidō 150, produced in conjunction with the "Hokkaidō 150: Settler Colonialism and Indigeneity in Modern Japan and Beyond" workshop hosted at UBC. In this episode, Dr. ann-elise lewallen (UCSB) reviews gendered aspects of the colonization of Hokkaidō and recounts Ainu women's reaction and resistance to settler colonialism. Stay tuned for additional Hokkaidō 150 podcast episodes here: hokkaido150.transistor.fm/2019-06-0300 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 112 - Dr. Hitomi Yoshio (Waseda)In this episode, Dr. Yoshio reassesses the category of the "woman writer" (joryū sakka) during the Taishō period, tracing the emergence of an interwar transnational women's literature. We discuss the importance of Seito, the works of Tamura Toshiko, and Virginia Woolf's reactions to Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, before talking about Dr. Yoshio's translations of contemporary writer Kawakami Mieko. 2019-05-2400 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 111 - Dr. Oleg Benesch (York)In this episode, Dr. Benesch surveys what happens to Japan's medieval castles following the Meiji Restoration, highlighting how they stand for both continuity and change in modern Japan. We discuss the destruction of castles in the 1870s as relics of the feudal past before their re-appropriation by the military in the 1890s, connections between castles and reconstructions of Bushido in the prewar, and finally the rebuilding and repurposing of castles in the postwar for tourism.2019-05-1700 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 110 - Dr. Tatiana Linkhoeva (NYU)In this episode, Dr. Linkhoeva reinserts Russia into the Meiji Period and modern Japanese history more broadly, calling into question narratives of constant tension and conflict between Russia and Japan. We discuss the popularity of Russian literature and political thought in the Meiji period, revisit Meiji fears of Russian expansion, trace friendly relations in the interwar and postwar periods, and locate the origins of these false narratives in Cold War-era historiography.2019-05-1400 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 109 - Dr. Paul Barclay (Lafayette)In this episode, Dr. Barclay reorients modern Japanese history to the perspective of the periphery, focusing on Japan's first colony of Taiwan. We discuss Indigenous Taiwanese resistance to Japanese colonialism, the role of capitalism in Japanese imperial expansion, notions of "savagery" and "civilization" in Japanese colonial rule, and how changing perspectives to the periphery reshapes Japanese history.2019-05-0300 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 108 - Dr. Susanna Fessler (Albany)In this episode, Dr. Fessler chronicles the travel writings of Japanese who went overseas to North America and Europe during the Meiji period, noting how writers revived traditional forms of travel literature (kikō bungaku) to convey their new experiences. We discuss travelers' reactions to unfamiliar cultures, the disappearance of travel literature over the course of the Meiji period, and continuities between the Tokugawa domestic leisure travel industry and Meiji overseas travel before discussing Dr. Fessler's recent research on US Minister Resident to Japan Robert H. Pruyn.2019-04-3000 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 8 - J-Pop RocksIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a student shares her favorite Japanese rock bands and discusses several types of J-Pop music.2019-04-2813 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 5 - 1950's Nuclear Pop CultureIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students discuss how fears of nuclear weapons impacted Japanese pop culture during the 1950s, touching on films like Godzilla and I Live in Fear.2019-04-2814 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 7 - The Self Defense ForcesIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students discuss the origins and activities of the Japanese Self-Defense Force, constitutional arguments for and against their deployment, and Japanese defense spending.2019-04-2820 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 6 - War MemoryIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, two students reflect on depictions of war memory in Japanese pop culture, focusing on manga by Mizuki Shigeru and anime films such as "Grave of the Fireflies."2019-04-2808 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 3 - Tokyo PollutionIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students discuss environmental issues in Tokyo, including urban pollution in Tsukiji, Suginami sickness, and the problem of jungle crows.2019-04-2826 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 1 - The Alt-Right & JapanIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a student discuss the American alt-right's fascination with Japan.2019-04-2816 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 2 - Homelessness in TokyoIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students tackle social issues in Tokyo including homelessness, urban poverty, and social inequality.2019-04-2827 minJapan on the RecordStudent Podcast Episode 4 - Territorial Disputes in East AsiaIn the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students discuss several current territorial disputes between Japan and its East Asian neighbors, including the Kuril Island dispute with Russia, the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute with China and Taiwan, and the Japan Sea/East Sea dispute with South Korea.2019-04-2824 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 107 - Dr. Ian Miller (Harvard)In this episode, Dr. Miller maps the contours of environmental history in Japan and charts how attention to the human interrelationship with the world around us reshapes our understanding of modern Japanese history. We rethink definitions of modernity in the Japanese context, discuss the environmental impacts of coal consumption in Meiji industrialization, and illuminate the history of electricity in Tokyo. (Transcript here).2019-04-2600 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 106 - Dr. Patricia Sippel (Tōyō Eiwa)In this episode, Dr. Sippel surveys the field of environmental studies in Japan before sketching the environmental history of the Tokugawa period. We discuss Tokugawa flood control projects in the context of questions about early modern sustainability, unpack essentialized ideas of a unique Japanese connection to nature, and interrogate the environmentalist movement in Japan today.2019-04-2600 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 105 - Dr. Miriam Wattles (UCSB)In this episode, Dr. Wattles sketches the political potential of artists and artistic production, from early manga artists in the Tokugawa period to activist artists today. We discuss early Meiji portraiture and changing women's employments, editorial cartoons and manga critical of the government and society, and jail cartoons from an immigrant detention center outside Tokyo today.2019-04-1900 min
Japan on the RecordKonMari on the Record with Dr. Jolyon Thomas (Penn)Read the original Twitter thread on Dr. Thomas's feed (@JolyonBT) or on his website: http://jolyon.thomasresearch.org/. For more on the history and contemporary practices of Shinto, see: 1) Fabio Rambelli, ed. Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan: The Invisible Empire (Bloomsbury, forthcoming May 2019): https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/spirits-and-animism-in-contemporary-japan-9781350097094/2) Jolyon Thomas, “Tongue in Cheek, Just in Case” (Sacred Matters): https://sacredmattersmagazine.com/tongue-in-cheek-just-in-case/ 3) For background on Shintō, see Dr. Thomas's review: https://networks.h-net.org/node/20904/discussions/837862/review-jolyon-thomas-studies-shinto 2019-04-1621 min
Japan on the RecordJapanese Whaling on the Record with Dr. Noell Wilson (Mississippi)Read the NY Times editorial referenced in the episode here. Read the Japanese government’s response here.For more historical background on Japanese whaling, listen to Meiji at 150 Podcast episode 47 with Dr. Jakobina Arch.Credit to BBC News and Al Jazeera English for audio clips.2019-04-1611 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 104 - Dr. M. William Steele (ICU)In this episode, Dr. Steele questions narratives of the Meiji success story by reviewing modern Japanese history from the bottom-up. We discuss how common people experienced and reacted to the events of the Restoration, locate lingering Edokko antipathy for the Meiji government along with sympathy for the Tokugawa, evaluate commoner agency in the Restoration, and finally review examples of resistance to Westernization. (Transcript here).2019-04-1200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 103 - Dr. Catherine Phipps (Memphis)In this episode, Dr. Phipps revisualizes the Meiji era through a global lens, complicating narratives of Meiji Japan "following" or "catching up" to the West and reinserting Japanese developments into global processes. We discuss recent commemorations of the Meiji Restoration sesquicentennial around the world, rediscover commercial ties between Japanese special trading ports and the Asian mainland, and question when Japan officially "opened." 2019-04-0900 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 102 - Dr. Dan Orbach (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)In this episode, Dr. Orbach revisits prewar Japanese military disobedience starting on the eve of the Meiji Restoration. We discuss the shishi of the Bakumatsu years, the Taiwan Expedition and samurai rebellions in the 1870s, the assassinations of Queen Min in 1895 and Zhang Zuolin in 1928, and finally the wave of domestic terror and military coups in the 1930s. (Transcript here).2019-04-0200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 101 - Dr. Kirsten Ziomek (Adelphi)In this episode, Dr. Kirsten Ziomek highlights the diversity of the prewar Japanese empire by surveying native reactions to Japanese colonialism in four locations: Hokkaidō, Taiwan, Micronesia, and Okinawa. We discuss Japanese administrative adaptations to local conditions, the scholarly advantages of using non-traditional sources including oral interviews, pictures, and material objects, the agency of native colonial subjects, and imperial tours to Tokyo.2019-03-2900 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 100 - Dr. Takahiro Yamamoto (Heidelberg)In this episode, Dr. Yamamoto reviews Japan's diplomatic interactions with Russia in the northern territories of the Kuril Islands and Karafuto in the years around the Meiji Restoration. We discuss Russian exploration in the area dating back to the 18th century, Meiji leaders' perceptions of a Russian threat in the north following the Restoration, and more recent disputes between Russia and Japan over the Kurils before talking about Dr. Yamamoto's recent research on the history of Japanese passports. (Transcript here).2019-03-2600 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 99 - PREVIEW: On the Record with Dr. Noell WilsonThis episode previews a new podcast series, Japan on the Record, a shorter format current events-themed series. In episode 1, Dr. Noell Wilson (University of Mississippi) details the American influences shaping Japanese deep sea whaling dating to the mid-19th century.
Read the NY Times editorial referenced in the episode here. Read the Japanese government's response here.
For more historical background on Japanese whaling, listen to Meiji at 150 Podcast episode 47 with Dr. Jakobina Arch.
Credit to BBC News and Al Jazeera English for audio clips.2019-03-1900 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 98 - Dr. Lionel Babicz (Sydney)In this episode, Dr. Babicz makes a compelling case for dating the start of "Modern Japan" to February 11, 1889, the date when the Meiji Constitution was promulgated, Mori Arinori was assassinated, and the Nihon newspaper published its first issue. We discuss the significance of the date and its connection to "National Foundation Day" today, the rise of conservatism from the middle of the Meiji period, popular reactions to these events at the time, and what their concurrence suggests about Japanese modernization. (Transcript here).2019-03-0100 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 97 - Dr. Hiromi Sasamoto-Collins (Edinburgh)In this episode, Dr. Sasamoto-Collins notes tension in Japanese society following the Meiji Restoration between authoritarian state power and political dissenters. We discuss the absolutism of the Meiji state, introduce several prewar political dissidents including Minobe Tatsukichi, map changes in the state/society relationship over the course of modern Japanese history, and question the vibrancy of Japanese civil society today. (Transcript here).2019-02-2600 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 96 - Dr. Jolyon Thomas (Penn)In this episode, Dr. Thomas revisits the history of religion during the Meiji Period, outlining the impacts of the Restoration on Buddhism in Japan. We discuss the anxiety felt by Buddhists after 1868, Buddhist practitioners' reactions to institutionalized Shinto in the prewar period, the religious consequences of the postwar American Occupation, and links between animation and religious practice in contemporary Japan. (Transcript here).2019-02-2200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 95 - Dr. Jennifer Prough (Valparaiso)In this episode, Dr. Prough guides a tour of historical sites in Kyoto associated with Sakamoto Ryōma, stopping along the way to discuss Ryōma's role in the Restoration, the historical memory of Ryōma, the repackaging of Ryōma's story for tourists, and the role of tourism in shaping Kyoto's urban identity as a city of traditional culture and history, for better or worse.2019-02-1900 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 94 - Dr. David Wittner (Utica)In this episode, Dr. Wittner revisits narratives of the technological and industrial transformation of Japan following the Meiji Restoration. We discuss the Meiji government's emphasis on technology, the role of Japanese entrepreneurs, Tokugawa preconditions for Meiji industrialization, the activities of oyatoi "hired foreign experts," and the UNESCO sites of Meiji industrialization.2019-02-1500 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 93 - Dr. Rebecca Copeland (Washington Univ.)In this episode, Dr. Copeland documents several cases of "unruly women" who disrupt Japanese social norms, from mythical goddess Izanami to popular activists and female writers in the Meiji and Taishō Periods like Kishida Toshiko and Miyake Kaho, and finally to contemporary writer Kirino Natsuo. We discuss formalist versus historicist literary analysis, questions of agency and individuality in Meiji women's cultural production, and the importance of translation in the field of literary studies. (Transcript here).2019-02-1200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 92 - Dr. Jun Isomae (Nichibunken)In this episode, Dr. Isomae charts the changing importance and role of religion in Japanese society following the Meiji Restoration, tracing the emergence of public and private spheres influenced by the introduction of Protestantism. We discuss the dichotomy of belief and practice in the context of popular support for prewar State Shinto and the continuing sacredotal roles of the emperor system, the prevalence of religious rituals and customs in Japanese society, and the popularity of new religions in Japan today.2019-02-0800 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 91 - Dr. Susan Burns (Chicago)In this episode, Dr. Susan Burns positions the history of leprosy in Japan amidst changing conceptions of disease and medical practice in the Tokugawa and Meiji periods. We discuss premodern understandings of disease as karmic retribution, government responses to infectious disease, the geographical distribution of medical institutions, and geospatial stigmas associated with the afflicted. (Transcript here).2019-02-0500 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 90 - Dr. Gavin Campbell (Dōshisha)In this episode, Dr. Campbell reviews the Meiji Restoration from the perspective of American cultural history, situating Japan within American interests in the Pacific. We question narratives of a "Clash" of Japanese and American cultures, and discuss Dr. Campbell's work on Japanese toilets and the material history of Japanese men's fashion. (Transcript here).2019-01-2900 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 89 - Janice NimuraIn this episode, Janice Nimura recounts the remarkable story of the women of the Iwakura Mission, three young girls sent to America in 1872 for a decade to learn about Western culture. We discuss the background of the women's presence on the Mission, the women's experiences in the US as seen in diaries and personal correspondence, and the lives they led and impact they had in Japan upon their return. (Transcript here).2019-01-2500 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 88 - Dr. Colin Jaundrill (Providence)In this episode, Dr. Jaundrill complicates the easy association between Bushidō, samurai, and Japan in the contemporary popular imagination. We discuss military reforms dating to the 1850s and into the Meiji Period, highlight the impact of military conscription on the former samurai and on commoners, challenge the continuity of Bushidō in the prewar military, and question the re-appropriation of Bushidō for the contemporary business world. (Transcript here).2019-01-2200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 87 - Dr. Deborah Shamoon (NUS)In this episode, Dr. Deborah Shamoon redraws depictions of the shōjo, or adolescent women, in Japanese cultural production in the Meiji and Taishō period, drawing connections between literature and new understandings of adolescent women’s roles in society. We discuss the emergence of new types of female characters in Meiji literature by Futabatei Shimei, Miyake Kaho, and Mori Ōgai, views of teenage girls as threatening in works by Tayama Katai and Tanizaki Junichirō, and changes in shōjo culture as seen in shōjo manga and the popularity of Misora Hibari in the postwar. 2019-01-1800 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 86 - Dr. Mark Ravina (Emory)In this episode, Dr. Ravina reconsiders received narratives of the Meiji Restoration, challenging ideas of the Restoration as a sharp break and reviving the importance of antiquity to early Meiji leaders. We compare the Meiji Restoration to earlier examples of foreign threat and domestic reform in premodern Japan, question concepts of "modernization" and "Westernization" commonly applied to the Meiji Period, and place the Restoration among the global revolutions of the 19th century. (Transcript here).2019-01-1500 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 85 - Dr. Shi Lin Loh (NUS)In this episode, Dr. Loh re-examines the history of science in modern Japan and charts Japan's singular experiences of radiation, from the development of Japanese radiology during the Meiji Period, to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and finally to the Triple Disaster in Fukushima. We discuss the introduction of X-ray technology, the lives and work of Japanese scientists Nishina Yoshio and Nagai Takashi, and Dr. Loh's contribution to a documentary film about radiation in Fukushima. (Transcript here).2018-12-2100 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 84 - Dr. David Ambaras (NC State)In this episode, Dr. Ambaras retraces the intimate and illicit networks of regional mobility in East Asia to rethink nation-centric narratives of modern Japanese and Chinese history. We discuss how the Meiji Restoration reshaped the East Asian Sinosphere, the lives of traders, women, and children living in Japan's "imperial underworlds," and how the upending of the East Asian order once again in 1945 impacted transnational families. (Transcript here).2018-12-1800 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 83 - Dr. Donna Brunero (NUS)In this episode, Dr. Brunero places treaty ports in Japan leading up to and after the Meiji Restoration into an East Asian regional perspective, comparing life in treaty ports in Japan and China. We discuss cultural transformations and cultural hybridity in treaty ports, question popular visions of the treaty ports that render non-Westerners invisible, and reread newspaper coverage of the Meiji Restoration in the Chinese treaty port press.2018-12-1400 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 82 - Dr. Jordan Sand (Georgetown)In this episode, Dr. Sand maps the urban change of Tokyo following the Meiji Restoration, highlighting material and spatial changes along with continuities and discontinuities in Tokyo planning from the 1880s to the present. We discuss the Ginza Bricktown, the politics of urban planning in the late 19th century, and disastrous moments of urban disruption in 1923 and 1945 before fast-forwarding to the present to talk about Shitamachi culture in Tokyo, our own favorite Tokyo neighborhoods, and to speculate on how the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will reshape the city once again. (Transcript here).2018-12-1100 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 81 - Dr. Carol Gluck (Columbia)In this episode, Dr. Carol Gluck reconsiders recent scholarly treatments of the Meiji Restoration by prominent historians in Japan, challenging narratives of a "simple Meiji". We question whether or not "Meiji has lost its mojo" in Japan today in light of lackluster commemorations of Meiji 150, discuss the commonalities and connections between the Meiji Restoration and the 19th century world, and talk about the importance of the Restoration in shaping Japanese history. (Transcript here).2018-12-0400 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 80 - Dr. Ellen Nakamura (Auckland)In this episode, Dr. Nakamura diagnoses the development of medical practice in Meiji Japan, starting with battlefield medicine during the Bōshin War. We discuss the violence of the Meiji Restoration, changes in medical practice following the Restoration, and the roles of female physicians and Western advisors in the development of Japanese medical practice. (Transcript here).
2018-11-2300 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 79 - Dr. Steven Ericson (Dartmouth)In this episode, Dr. Ericson rethinks several common understandings of Meiji industrialization and economic modernization, reassessing ideas of fiscal retrenchment during the Matsukata Deflation, challenging assumptions of Tokugawa structural preconditions for Meiji industrialization, and questioning the speed and success of Meiji industrial growth. (Transcipt here).2018-11-2000 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 78 - Dr. Taka Oshikiri (UWI-Mona)In this episode, Dr. Oshikiri describes changes to the cultural significance of tea ceremony from the Tokugawa Period into the Meiji Period. We discuss the practice of tea ceremony in the Tokugawa period, the embracing of tea ceremony after the Restoration in the context of invented traditions and new social organizations in the Meiji Period, as well as the promotion of tea ceremony as a Japanese art form at international expositions to stimulate tea exports.2018-11-1700 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 77 - Dr. James Huffman (Wittenberg)In this episode, Dr. Huffman chronicles the daily lives of the down and out poor residents in the slums of Tokyo and Osaka during the late Meiji Period. We discuss the life patterns and living conditions of slum residents, the rural poverty that drove people to look for jobs in the cities and overseas in places like Hawaii, the existence of charity and other social welfare programs to help the poor, and contemporary press coverage of the slums in the mass media before talking about the status of Tokyo slums today. (Transcript here).2018-11-1300 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 76 - Dr. Sayaka Chatani (NUS)In this episode, Dr. Chatani raises the importance of rural Seinendan youth mobilization groups in rallying local support for the Japanese military across the Japanese empire, from Miyagi to Okinawa, Taiwan, and Korea. We discuss the reasons for popular support of the military amongst rural villagers and the large number of colonial youth who volunteered for the Japanese army, before shifting to talk about Dr. Chatani's recent research on the lives of North Korean overseas nationals in Japan in the context of postwar northeast Asian geopolitics. (Transcript here).2018-11-0900 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 75 - Dr. Jonathan Reynolds (Columbia)In this episode, Dr. Reynolds reinforces the Meiji foundations of modern Japanese national architectural as mix of Western and traditional forms. We discuss the Meiji origins of institutions of architectural practice including architectural training programs, the mixing of Western and Japanese traditional forms in the training curricula, and the Pan-Asian and hybrid style of Itō Chūta. We then fast forward to the postwar period to talk about continuities between prewar and postwar architecture, the importance of Japanese forms and architects in the global development of Modernist architecture, the National Diet Building, and the aesthetics of Tokyo architecture, concluding with...2018-11-0600 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 74 - Dr. Ayaka Yoshimizu (UBC)In this episode, Dr. Yoshimizu outlines and deconstructs discourses of proper women's behavior amongst the Japanese-Canadian community in prewar British Columbia through representations of Japanese sex workers, waitresses, and wives in the Tairiku Nippō newspaper. We discuss the history of Japanese prostitution in BC, the importance of vernacular media to the Japanese immigrant community, and how the history of Japanese sex workers in BC is remembered today in both Japan and Canada.2018-11-0200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 73 - Dr. Simon Partner (Duke)In this episode, Dr. Partner retraces the footsteps of Japanese merchant Shinohara Chūemon in treaty-port Yokohama in the 1850-1860s, emphasizing the individual efforts from the bottom-up that made Meiji transformations possible. We discuss what life was like in treaty ports for Japanese residents, how Meiji reforms impacted Japanese residents both in the treaty ports and in rural areas, and the emergence of Japanese national identity in reaction to interaction with foreigners.2018-10-3000 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 72 - Dr. Ayako Yoshimura (Chicago)In this episode, Dr. Yoshimura weaves kimono into the study of Japanese material culture and folklore from the Meiji Period, noting how kimono fashion and cultural practices changed during the Meiji Period as kimono became Japan's national garment. We discuss the materiality of folklore studies, Meiji kimono, and practices of kimono wearing today before talking about Dr. Yoshimura's work on Asian-American grocery stores.2018-10-2600 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 71 - Dr. Michael Dylan Foster (UC Davis)In this episode, Dr. Foster guides us into the realm of yōkai, or supernatural spirits and monsters, as an introduction to the study of Japanese folklore. We discuss the popularity of the kokkuri divination game during the Meiji period as evidence for how Japanese were reacting to changes in everyday life, the continuing prominence of yōkai in Japanese pop culture and global imaginations of Japan, and the political context of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage sites and local tourist advertising in Japan.2018-10-2300 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 70 - Dr. Noriko Aso (UCSC)In this episode, Dr. Aso reconstructs representations of Japanese modernity in imperial museums from the early Meiji Period, noting the influence of international expositions and imperialist expansion. We then discuss Dr. Aso’s more recent research on wartime consumerism and department store advertising before talking about her classroom teaching on gender in East Asia.2018-10-2000 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 69 - Dr. Kerim Yasar (USC)In this episode, Dr. Kerim Yasar notes how the introduction of technologies of sound production and reproduction impacted Japanese daily life during the Meiji period. We touch on the ability of informative technologies like the telegraph and the telephone to spread ideas and tie the nation together, before discussing the spread of popular culture, such as Naniwa Bushi and other performative arts, through the gramophone, radio, and film.2018-10-1600 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 68 - Dr. Eiko Maruko Siniawer (Williams)In this episode, Dr. Siniawer reconsiders the big questions of politics during the Meiji Period, touching on major developments including the construction of the Meiji state, divides within the Meiji ruling regime, samurai rebellions, and the Seikanron ("Punish Korea") debates. We discuss the radical reforms of the Caretaker Government in the early 1870s, along with the political goals of protestors and violence in the Freedom and People's Rights Movement, before talking about Dr. Siniawer's more recent research on waste in postwar Japan. (Transcript here).2018-10-1200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 67 - Dr. Brian McVeighIn this episode, Dr. Brian McVeigh investigates the development of the social sciences in Japan during the Meiji period, with an emphasis on the study of psychology. We discuss the place of the social sciences in the Japanese education and imperial university system, position Japan within global psychology practice, and map changes to the psychology profession over the course of Japanese history before contrasting ideas of the Self in the Meiji period and today.2018-10-0900 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 66 - Dr. Merry White (Boston)In this episode, Dr. Merry White recasts Japan as a coffee country, emphasizing the popularity of coffee and coffee shops in Japanese society dating to the Meiji Period. We discuss multiple waves of coffee popularity in Japan, trends in different kinds of coffee shops, the prevalence of specialized coffee craft and techniques in Japanese cafes, and the view of Japanese society we get from the coffee shop, before comparing notes on our own favorite Tokyo cafes and obsessive coffee habits. (Transcript here).2018-10-0500 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 65 - Dr. Marco Tinello (Hōsei)In this episode, Dr. Marco Tinello traces the origins of "Ryūkyū Shobun" and the Japanese colonization of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in the 1870s to Ryūkyūan embassies sent to Edo during the early modern period. We discuss the political importance of these embassies for the Tokugawa, the Ryūkyūs, and Satsuma, re-position the embassies in the complicated politics of Bakumatsu, and reinsert Ryūkyū into diplomatic negotiations with the Western powers from the 1850s.2018-10-0200 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 64 - Dr. Tze Loo (Richmond)In this episode, Dr. Loo recounts the incorporation of the Ryūkyū Kingdom into Japan and the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture in 1879 as one example of Japanese territorial expansion following the Meiji Restoration. We discuss Meiji state policies towards the Ryūkyūs, the reactions of Ryūkyūan elites, local protest movements, comparisons to the colonization of Hokkaidō and Taiwan, and the legacies of this history for Okinawan identity and culture today.2018-09-2800 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 63 - Dr. Mark McNally (Hawaii)In this episode, Dr. Mark McNally revisits the history of nativism and anti-foreignism during the years leading up to the Meiji Restoration, finding the late-Tokugawa period far more cosmopolitan than expected. We discuss early modern Japanese relations with the Ryūkyū kingdom, the conversion of Ryūkyū into Okinawa, and the history of Japanese emigration to Hawaii.2018-09-2500 minThe Meiji at 150 PodcastEpisode 62 - Dr. Gennifer Weisenfeld (Duke)In this episode, Dr. Weisenfeld depicts how Japanese avant-garde artists responded to the structures and institutions of modern art constructed during the Meiji Period, as well as their destruction in the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake. We discuss artistic reactions to modernity, the visual culture of civil air defense in wartime Japan, ties between visual culture and the nation-state, and the graphic design of Japanese corporate advertising. (Transcript here).2018-09-2100 min