Emperor Shōmu's Big Moves

The reign of Emperor Kōnin was off to a rocky start when his Empress was accused of practicing witchcraft to subvert the state. Prince Yamabe, originally passed over for the office of Tennō because of his Baekje ancestry, now comes once more to the foreground of succession debates. Meanwhile, in Tōhoku, an imperial army was about to meet with utter disaster at the hands of the Shiwa Emishi. For a map of the Tōhoku region, check out the supplemental post! Support the show My latest novel, "C...

18 Feb 202119min

With Empress Shōtoku gone, the court quickly acted to remove Dōkyō and his cronies from power, then turned their eyes toward the critical issue of succession. Their choice for the next Tennō was the elder Prince Shirakabe, whose reign, while more stable than that of Shōtoku-Tennō's, was still fraught with scandal, military catastrophe, and intrigue. For a picture of Emperor Kōnin, check out the supplemental post! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Ama...

15 Feb 202119min

New reign, new name. Empress Kōken returns to the Chrysanthemum Throne as Empress Shōtoku and sets about removing potential rival claimants and showing favor to Dōkyō, the priest who had healed her years before. However, Dōkyō was not just a humble clergyman, but an ambitious noble who passed the favors forward to his family members in the Yuge clan and seems to have set his eyes on an office even higher than Daijo-Daijin... For a picture of a statue of Wake Kiyomaro, as well as a beautiful ...

11 Feb 202121min

The conflict between Fujiwara Nakamaro and retired Empress Kōken comes to a head as both sides make their opening moves in a dangerous game that resulted in open rebellion. Can Fujiwara Nakamaro find a way to maintain his grip on power, or will the retired Empress triumph over this ally-turned-enemy? For a battle diagram of the conflict, check out the supplemental post! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, ...

8 Feb 202115min

With his chosen sovereign now placed securely on the throne, Fujiwara Nakamaro probably thought he was about to enjoy the height of his political influence. There was only one problem: the former sovereign, Empress Kōken, did not believe that her retirement should prevent her from continuing to govern the nation regardless of the Chancellor's wishes. To see an informative map covering the contemporary An Lushan Rebellion in Tang China, and to see the tomb of Emperor Junnin, check out the sup...

4 Feb 202116min

Dissatisfied with the new status quo, Tachibana Naramaro decides to take matters into his own hands and overthrow his cousin Fujiwara Nakamaro. Will he succeed in this power grab against the increasingly powerful Nakamaro, or will he meet the same fate of so many others who dared to challenge him? For pictures of Empress Komyo, Empress Koken, and Fujiwara Toyonari, check out the supplemental post! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes &amp...

1 Feb 202127min

The imperial court hoped that Fujiwara Hirotsugu would cool his heels in Kyūshū and stop undermining the Chancellor. Instead, he launched an armed rebellion with the help of the discontented locals of his island, who were still recovering from the lingering effects from the epidemic. For an artistic depiction of Fujiwara Hirotsugu as well as a helpful battle diagram, check out the supplemental post! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes &a...

25 Jan 202118min