EPISODE 103: The Lone Samurai, Miyamoto Musas...

Oda Nobunaga, samurai warlord. He’s one of Japan’s most infamous and consequential figures, known to many as Japan’s first ‘Great Unifier’. From humble beginnings as the daimyo of Owari province, he embarked on a mission to unite all of Japan under his sole control. But how did h ...  Show more

The Sengoku Period, also known as the Warring States Period, was a turbulent and violent period of Japanese history when rival warlords or daimyo fought bitterly for control of Japan. The period falls within the Muromachi period (Muromachi Jidai, 1333-1573 CE) of Japanese medieva ...  Show more

The Hell Courtesan (Jigoku Tayuu) is a mysterious figure that appears in art and story in Japan since the 1600s. But who is this beautiful high-ranked oiran who wears a kimono covered in images of hell? In this episode I talk about her legend and relationship with the eccentric m ...  Show more

Yasuke is one of the most captivating and yet mysterious figures within Japanese history. In 1581, at the height of the civil war, he crossed paths with the country’s most powerful warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Their meeting bound the two men together and set Yasuke on a path to beco ...