
The foundation of the fanatically loyal forces of World War II era Japan are created by Yamagata Aritomo, one of the most consequential military leaders in the history of the nation.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Ito Hirobumi, Inoue Kowashi, Yamagata Aritomo, Katsura Taro.
Link to the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors: http://personal.ashland.edu/~jmoser1/japan/rescript.htm
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
Oct 4, 2019
15 min

The Meiji government appoints Mori Arinori, possibly the most influential Minister of Education in the nation's history, to not only modernize the education sector but to align it with national interests.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Okuma Shigenobu, Itagaki Taisuke, Ito Hirobumi, Kawakami Soroku, Inoue Kowashi, Iwakura Tomomi.
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
Sep 27, 2019
20 min

The government cracks down on liberal movements and moves swiftly and secretly to write the new Meiji constitution and officially found the Empire of Japan.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Satsuma, Choshu, Ito Hirobumi, Kido Koin, Okuma Shigenobu, Itagaki Taisuke, Chichibu, Saitama, Iwakura Tomomi, Saionji Kinmochi, Goto Shojiro, Chiba Takusaburo, Enomoto Takeaki.
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon.
Meiji era woodblock paintings: https://medium.com/@kevinshau/meiji-at-150-the-prints-of-toyohara-chikanobu-18c99907c278
The Meiji Constitution: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/japan/meiji_constitution.pdf
Aug 15, 2019
18 min

A new age dawns in Japan as the junior oligarchs achieve primacy. However, the call for freedom and liberty becomes impossible to ignore as two of the oligarchs establish the first political parties in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Boshin, Satsuma, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshichimi, Choshu, Kido Koin, Kumamoto, Okuma Shigenobu, Itagaki Taisuke, Ito Hirobumi, Risshisha, Hokkaido, Ainu, Ryukyu.
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
Aug 2, 2019
17 min

The fall of the samurai coincides with the deaths of its last great warriors.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Boshin, Satsuma, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshichimi, Choshu, Kido Koin, Kumamoto, Okuma Shigenobu, Yamagata Aritomo, Ito Hirobumi. Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
Jul 26, 2019
11 min

Night falls and the samurai is no more.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Boshin, Satsuma, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshichimi, Kumamoto, Akizuki, Fukuoka, Yamagata Aritomo, Arisugawa, Tani Tateki, Tabaruzaka, Beppu Shinsuke, Shimazu Hisamitsu, Enodake, Hitoyoshi, Nobeoka, Miyakonojo, Shiroyama.
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
Jul 4, 2019
18 min

After the small failed rebellions of 1876, a storm brews in Satsuma and breaks forth as one of the greatest civil wars in Japanese history.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Boshin, Satsuma, Saigo Takamori, Torataro, Okubo Toshichimi, Choshu, Saga, Eto Shinpei, Shinpuren, Kumamoto, Akizuki, Fukuoka, Yamagata Aritomo, Ito Hirobumi, Arisugawa, Nakahara Hisao, Tani Tateki.
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
Jun 20, 2019
15 min

The reduction of samurai privileges galvanizes the warriors to rebel against the government on five different occasions. Even the home of the Meiji regime, the island of Kyushu and the province of Choshu, are not safe from the wrath of the samurai.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Boshin, Satsuma, Saigo Takamori, Saigo Judo, Okubo Toshichimi, Choshu, Saga, Eto Shinpei, Hizen, Shinpuren, Kumamoto, Akizuki, Fukuoka, Hagi, Maebara Issei.
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
Jun 13, 2019
15 min

Samurai stipends are replaced with government bonds forcing many into poverty. They will not take this anymore.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Boshin, Satsuma, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshichimi, Choshu, Kido Koin, Iwakura Tomomi, Okuma Shinenobu, ishin shishi.
Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
May 30, 2019
17 min

Not all is well at home while the Iwakura Mission travels the world, as the caretaker government brings Japan to the brink of war.
The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Boshin, Satsuma, Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshichimi, Choshu, Kido Koin, Sanjo Sanetomi, Iwakura Tomomi, Okuma Shinenobu, Omura Masujiro, Yamagata Aritomo, Tsushima Island, So Clan, Yi Sun Shin. Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon
May 22, 2019
25 min
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