Against Japanism

Against Japanism takes a deliberately provocative approach to Japanese history, challenging the familiar narrative of Japan as a harmonious, homogeneous, and uniquely traditional society. Hosted by Kota, the show reframes Japanese history as a history of conflict, class struggle, and resistance, drawing on anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and intersectional perspectives. Episodes run long, often exceeding an hour, and tackle subjects that rarely get airtime in English-language media about Japan. The Buraku liberation movement, wartime labor exploitation, revolutionary feminism in the Taisho era, the Japanese Red Army, and the ongoing struggle of migrant workers all get serious attention here. Kota brings in guest scholars and activists to provide firsthand expertise, like the episode on Kazuo Ishikawa and the Sayama Incident with researcher Miho Kim. The show also digs into cultural analysis, examining how anime, film, and theater reflect and sometimes obscure Japan's history of social conflict. With 29 episodes and a 4.6-star rating from 43 reviews, the podcast has found an audience among listeners who want to understand the parts of Japanese history that tourism boards and cultural ambassadors tend to leave out. It is not a neutral overview and does not pretend to be one. If you are drawn to labor history, social movements, or leftist political theory, this podcast offers a perspective on Japan you simply will not find elsewhere in English.