Clans, Corporations, and Capital

In 794, Emperor Kammu succeeded in moving the imperial court to the shiny new capital of Heian-Kyō. In this episode, we will explore the consequences of that decision as well as the decisions the Tennō made in the latter part of his reign. For a video describing some of the traditional construction techniques which would have been employed in the construction of the capital, as well as a recreation of the Rajōmon gate, check out the supplemental post! Support the show My latest novel, "Cali...

28 Juni 202123min

Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!

15 Mars 20212min

In this episode, we'll explore some of the extant folk tales from the Nara Period which come from the Fudoki accounts.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!

8 Mars 202123min

In this special bonus episode, we'll explore the poetic talents of various individuals from the Nara Period, some of whom we know and some who will be new to us today.Check out the supplemental post for links to more Man'yoshu poems!Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!

1 Mars 202112min

Emperor Kammu took the throne as the first sovereign of Japan who descended from Baekje stock. He had big plans for the nation - intensifying the war against the Emishi, building a new capital and, when that one failed, building a new capital in a different place. For a beautiful picture of Emperor Kammu, as well as pics of cool scale models of both Nagaoka-kyo and Heian-kyo, check out the supplemental post! Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, ...

22 Feb 202122min

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